


Irreparable

by sarcasticism



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Azula (Avatar) Redemption, Flashbacks, I’m trying real hard with that redemption arc for her but idk wtf I’m doing so don’t expect much, M/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Slow Burn, Time Travel Fix-It, never thought it would come to this, sorry but like.. they all have ptsd, yes I seriously am doing a slow burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-16 15:40:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28709070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcasticism/pseuds/sarcasticism
Summary: Zuko has so many regrets in his young life: hunting Aang, helping Azula, and hiring Combustion Man, to name a few. But what if he had another chance? What if he could relive the year before he became the Firelord? Could he really change things for the better? Or is he just making another mistake?
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 42
Kudos: 306





	1. The Spirit of Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen I just wanted a time travel Zukka fic so I could basically rewrite the show but with Zuko as a good guy. I do use a lot of lines directly from the show itself, so if you see a joke that’s really clever, it’s probably not from me. Everything belongs to Bryke and Nickelodeon, etc.

Zuko tossed and turned in his quarters. The world was at peace. He knew he should be sleeping well. 

Still, peace brought him more time to doubt himself. Even though his mother had returned to the palace, he still worried about turning into his father.

It had only been a year since Aang defeated Ozai. One year wasn’t enough time to heal the world from his nation’s oppression. He had so much more work to do. 

He still berated himself for not offering to join Aang until summer. He could’ve gotten a much earlier start in freeing the world from the Fire Nation. Maybe he could’ve even saved Azula from Ozai’s influence. She had just been a kid, too. Yes, her actions were reprehensible, but Ozai had been her main authority figure. She didn’t have Mom or Uncle to steer her towards good. He hadn’t seen Azula since she ran off in Hira’a after confronting their mother. He was worried about her… if he’d just realized his destiny faster, maybe she would be on the road to recovery by now.

Zuko groaned. To his surprise, someone responded to him. 

“You seem troubled,” the voice said. 

“Suki?” Zuko called, sitting up. 

A beautiful woman wearing flowing blue robes shimmered into view. “No,” she said. 

“Who - are you a spirit?”

“Yes. My name is Kanla. I am the Spirit of Time.” 

Zuko had never seen a spirit before.  _ What would Aang do? _ He thought about it for a moment and settled on what to say. “If I may be so bold, what brings you here?”

“You do. Your feelings are very strong. They reach farther than you know. I know how confusing that sounds,” she said, echoing Zuko’s thoughts. “Allow me to explain: in the Spirit World, the environment is dependent on our emotions. Negative ones create lightning storms and positive ones create sunny skies.”

“I apologize for disturbing your world,” Zuko said, bowing his head. 

“You did not turn things bad. I only felt you because you harbor so many regrets in your past. Why do you obsess over time gone by?”

Zuko shrugged. “I guess I’ll never stop feeling guilty. Even though everyone managed to forgive me, I don’t know if I can ever forgive myself. I didn’t listen to Uncle even though he was always right; I betrayed him instead. And Azula… if I’d just taken her away from my father, she would be in a much healthier place. She was just a kid and he used her as a tool in his war!”

Kanla listened attentively. 

“And if I’d come to my senses earlier, Ba Sing Se would’ve never fallen and I would’ve had much more time to make up for my nation’s atrocities.”

“Are you sure? Everything happened in just one year.”

“But the people of Ba Sing Se went through hell during our occupation. We burned so many forests. Surely you saw the destruction my father caused. Things definitely weren’t great before, but they only got worse until the return of Sozin’s Comet.”

“I see,” Kanla mused. “Would you like another chance, then?”

Zuko frowned. “Another chance at what?”

“At your destiny. I can take you back to the day before you found the Avatar and you can try again.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. “What?! What about the cosmic energy of the universe? Won’t messing with that damage it?”

“No. The universe is always changing and adapting accordingly. Should you accept my offer, nothing different shall happen unless you take it upon yourself to change things.”

“But… isn’t this how things were supposed to turn out?”

“An interesting question to ask for someone who regrets their past as much as you. Destiny and fate are what we make of them, Fire Lord Zuko. You are free to accept or deny my offer.”

“Do I even have the right to handle stuff like this?” Zuko muttered to himself. “What if I just mess everything up worse than before? Can I really risk everything Aang and I have accomplished so far?” Zuko sighed. “I wish Uncle was here.”

“If you wish, you may seek counsel from me. I  _ am _ the Spirit of Time.”

“Do you honestly believe I could change things for the better?”

“Do you think joining the Avatar earlier would have prevented much needless violence?” she countered. 

“Yes.”

“Then I believe you have answered your own question.”

Zuko looked into the distance for a moment, then back at the spirit. “I accept your offer.”

Kanla smiled at him. “I will take you back to the night before you saw the Avatar’s light.”

“Thank you, Kanla.”

She touched his forehead and everything went black.   
  


When he woke up, Zuko was in a room filled with Fire Nation banners. He sat up and looked around.

With a mix of nostalgia and nausea, Zuko remembered. He was in his quarters on the ship he and Uncle had used to track down the Avatar. Just to be sure, he reached around the back of his head. 

_ Yep, there’s the ponytail and the shaved head. I can’t believe I ever thought that looked good. I know it was symbolic of my defeat at the hands of my father, but seriously. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There’s no spirit of time in the Avatar canon yet so I made one up. Kanla is based on Kan-Laon, the god of time in ancient Filipino legends.
> 
> I have like, eleven chapters of this written out right now and I thought maybe if I posted it I could motivate myself to at least finish writing Book One.


	2. The Boy in the Iceberg

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I’m posting two chapters in one night. What about it?

Zuko stood and stretched. _Am I really here? Did Kanla actually send me back? What if this is all just a dream?_

He sighed. “I’m going to go find Uncle,” he said aloud. 

Even though it had been quite some time since he’d lived on the ship, Zuko still remembered where everything was. It had been his home for three years, after all. He walked along the familiar path to Uncle Iroh’s quarters.

Being on the ship again was bringing back memories, mainly of himself ranting about capturing the Avatar and restoring his honor. Zuko shook his head. He’d actually believed that finding Aang would restore his honor and that that would make his father somehow love him again. Children shouldn’t have to earn their parents’ love. Ozai truly was a terrible man.

Zuko knocked on Iroh’s door and, after hearing no response, opened the door and walked inside. He smiled at Iroh’s sleeping form and sat down next to him.

“A man needs his rest,” he remembered Iroh saying. 

Zuko closed his eyes and cleared his mind. He meditated until Uncle woke.

“Prince Zuko? Is everything all right?”

Zuko opened his eyes. “Yes, Uncle, everything is fine. I only wished to speak to you.”

Iroh sat up. “By all means, Nephew. Shall we talk over tea?”

“Yes, please. That would be wonderful.”

Iroh frowned at him. Zuko realized he was acting uncharacteristically polite for that time. He had always been so angry and rude during his search for the Avatar. He had reason to be, but still, he should’ve treated Iroh better.

As Iroh busied himself making their tea, Zuko thought about what he should say.

 _Should I tell Uncle I’m actually from the future? I’m still not sure if this is real or just a convincing dream. He might think I’ve gone crazy._

No, perhaps it would be best to keep this a secret. At least until he was sure of the state of his reality. 

Iroh handed Zuko his tea. 

“Thank you, Uncle.”

“Be careful, it’s hot.”

“I would expect nothing less from the Dragon of the West,” Zuko joked.

Iroh chuckled a bit as he sat down. “You are certainly in a good mood tonight.”

Zuko shrugged. He wasn’t in a particularly good mood; he was confused and nervous and scared. But he didn’t need to take it out on Iroh. Zuko blew on his tea and took a small sip.

“This tea is delicious. Thank you Uncle.”

“You are welcome, Prince Zuko. Now, what is it you wished to talk about?”

“My destiny.”

Iroh raised his eyebrows. “Have you had a revelation?”

“Yes. I no longer wish to search for the Avatar to restore my honor and return to the Fire Nation. I wish to search for him so I may teach him firebending. I know this seems very sudden, but I assure you, I’ve put a lot of thought into this.” _Hell, I thought about my destiny for months on end. Trust me when I say this is right._

“My true destiny is what I choose, not what others force upon me,” Zuko finished, echoing Iroh’s words to him beneath Lake Laogai. 

“That is quite a switch from your attitude yesterday. Has something happened?”

“I… had a very interesting dream.”

“Revelations can sometimes come to us in dreams.”

Zuko nodded. 

“Prince Zuko, should you succeed in helping the Avatar, that would make you a banished traitor. Are you sure about this?”

Zuko nodded once. “I will no longer do my father’s bidding. The Avatar is destined to defeat him and I want to help him succeed. Would you like to join me?”

“I will always follow you, Prince Zuko.”

Zuko smiled and blinked away a few tears. He was so scared that he’d mess up his second chance. That Iroh would follow him, become a traitor to their nation with him… Zuko put down his tea and reached over for a hug. 

“Thank you, Uncle,” Zuko whispered into his shoulder. 

Iroh squeezed him before letting go. “We will need to plan out many things if this is to work.”

“I know. I believe the Avatar is somewhere in the Southern Water Tribe. If we go there, we shall find him.”

“We are currently on our way there. You gave the order yesterday, Prince Zuko. Do you not remember?”

“I… suppose I forgot. I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“Yes, I can tell.”

Zuko learned over and picked up a knife on a nearby table. “Since I’m a traitor now…” he lifted the knife under his ponytail and cut it off. He summoned a flame and watched his hair burn. 

“Urgh, that smells terrible!” Zuko exclaimed. “Why did I think that would be a good idea?”

Uncle Iroh chuckled as he watched Zuko wrinkle his nose. “Will you pass me the knife as well?”

“But Uncle… you don’t have to come with me. You can still lead a normal life. I need you to be sure.”

“There is no normal life waiting for me back home. I have made my decision.” Iroh held out his hand.

Zuko passed him the knife and Iroh cut off his top knot. He smiled and then set his hair aflame as well. 

“Uncle! You just saw me make that mistake! Why did you do that?”

Iroh just laughed and before long, Zuko was laughing, too. 

Once their laugher (and the awful scent of burnt hair) died down, Zuko spoke. 

“Do you have a hat or something? I’d rather not walk around with my hair looking like this. It’ll only take a few weeks for it to grow out, but still.”

“Hmm.” Iroh turned away and began rummaging through his drawers. “Aha!” He pulled out a hat that looked very familiar to him. 

_Oh! That looks just like the hat Aang wore when we saw the Ember Island Players. No way are we seeing them this time around. If this isn’t a dream, that is._

Zuko accepted the hat from Iroh and put it on. “Well? How do I look?”

“Very handsome, Prince Zuko.”

“Shall we see how long we have before we reach the South Pole?”

Iroh nodded and they stood. 

“Oh, Uncle, wait,” Zuko said, grabbing his arm before they could get to the hallway. “They can’t see that you cut your hair. They’ll know something’s changed. Put your hood up, please.”

Iroh merely nodded again and put his hood up. 

Zuko chose to admire the view outside while Uncle spoke with the captain. That was a good choice. Zuko wasn’t exactly well-liked around here, even after he’d saved that helmsman. With the way he treated the crew, it’s a wonder there had been no mutiny.

It was still dark out. Zuko watched the northern lights dance. They sort of reminded him of Ren and Shaw’s fire. 

Iroh returned after only a few minutes. 

“Prince Zuko? I spoke with the captain. He said we should be at the South Pole tomorrow afternoon. In the meantime, we should rest.”

“Did you tell the captain to lower anchor so he and everyone else on deck can get some sleep?” Zuko asked. 

“Yes, though I am surprised to hear you say that.”

“I have not treated them well these past two years. I will do whatever I can to make up for it.”

“That is an honorable thing to do.”

Zuko smiled. He and Iroh made their way back to their respective quarters. 

Zuko only slept for a few hours. He woke up when he heard footsteps in the hallway. He followed the sailors up the stairs to the top deck. 

The ship was moving but Zuko couldn’t see the Southern Water Tribe yet. He went up to speak with the captain. 

He opened the door and walked to stand beside the captain at the wheel. 

“Captain?”

“Yes, Prince Zuko?”

“Will you please drop anchor once we are in the vicinity of the Southern Water Tribe?” Zuko didn’t want to destroy half the village just by docking this time. 

The captain widened his eyes. Right, these people are used to me yelling at them. 

“Yes, Prince Zuko. Would you like the crew to prepare a rowboat for you?”

“No, thank you. I’ll prepare it myself. Uncle and I will row together. You and the rest of the crew will have the rest of the day off once we’re gone.”

The captain frowned. “Is everything all right, Prince Zuko?”

“Yes, everything is fine. I have recently realized that I do not treat the crew of this ship with the respect they deserve. I am attempting to be more polite. Am I doing okay?”

“Yes, sir. I must say, it’s a refreshing change from yesterday when you yelled at everyone.”

“Well, you’d be surprised what can change overnight.” _Or over the course of two years. The road to redemption is hard walked._ “Will you relay this to the rest of the crew?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Thank you.”

Zuko left to get the boat ready. About an hour later, Uncle Iroh dragged him to the mess hall for breakfast. 

“It is important to share a meal with those who serve you. They need to know that even though you command them, you do not view yourself as above them,” he said.

“Though I know we shall leave their company soon, it is important you try to make a good connection with everyone until then,” Iroh continued in a whisper. “We do not want them reporting our whereabouts to the Fire Lord, do we?”

Zuko nodded. He still marveled at how wise his uncle was. They grabbed their food and sat at a random table. 

“I have prepared a rowboat to take us the rest of the way once we have the Water Tribe in our sights.”

“Very well. Do you really believe the Avatar is here?”

“He has to be. We’ve looked everywhere else,” Zuko responded. 

“And if he is not here? What will we do then, Prince Zuko?”

“Hmm…” Zuko thought for a moment. “Have you ever thought about opening up a tea shop?” 

Iroh chuckled quietly. “Yes, quite often. I love tea and I love to share it with others. In fact, I am about to share some right now.” 

He picked up a teapot Zuko hadn’t noticed and started pouring little cups of tea. 

“Will you please distribute these to the crew members at other tables?” Iroh asked, holding out a small platter. 

“Of course, Uncle.”

He evenly spaced the teacups on the tray and stood up. He still knew how to balance the tray with one hand so he could pass out everyone’s tea individually. 

“Excuse me?” he said, approaching the table closest to him. “My uncle made tea for everyone. Would you all like some?”

Everyone looked surprised but nodded all the same. Each person thanked him after receiving their tea. Zuko smiled. He felt like he was back at the Jasmine Dragon. 

Incredibly, Iroh somehow managed to make enough tea for everyone in the mess hall. Zuko happily handed out teacups. He had to firebend his food when he returned, but it was well worth it to make everyone a little happier. 

He finished his food as Iroh jovially spoke with other crew members at their table. Zuko put away Iroh’s plate with his own and returned to the deck. 

They had stopped. Zuko ran to his room and grabbed his telescope. He looked to the horizon with it and searched for the Water Tribe. He found it after a minute or so. It was well camouflaged, what with the structures being mostly made out of snow on a snowy background. 

_Clever hiding tactic_ , Zuko mused. _I suppose it helps that it’s small, too._

In his past year as Fire Lord, Zuko had seen the progress Katara and Sokka made in rebuilding their tribe. He’d offered his help, but the tribe was wary of the Fire Nation, for good reason. Zuko still felt guilty for every bad thing his nation had done. All he could do right now to make amends was explain why the Fire Nation did all those terrible things and apologize for them. It would hopefully give some people closure and begin the healing process. 

As soon as Iroh returned, they would leave, Zuko decided. 

* * *

“Off we go, Prince Zuko!” Iroh said as Zuko began rowing about half an hour later. 

“Excited to visit the Southern Water Tribe, Uncle?”

“Of course! I have only visited the Northern Tribe once to learn about waterbending. I had to disguise myself, of course. People are generally right to not trust firebenders. Many of us have done terrible things.”

“Uncle, may I ask you a question?”

“Of course, Prince Zuko.”

“Um, maybe it’s better if you just call me Zuko for now. Though I greatly appreciate the title. And… I wanted to know when you realized that the Fire Nation was wrong to go to war.”

“It is complicated, Nephew. I used to believe that, as a General, I was helping people prosper by taking over their lands. That is what Fire Lord Azulon taught Ozai and me. I thought I was fighting to make a better world for Lu Ten. After he died, I realized I was just another tool in Fire Lord Sozin’s vanity project. There is no honor in that. It is a bit pathetic, truthfully. I only saw the war for what it was once it negatively affected me. I was blind to the pain I inflicted on others.”

Zuko remained quiet as he rowed them away from their ship. 

“Uncle, I’m… worried about Azula,” Zuko admitted. 

Iroh raises an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Ozai puts too much on her. She’s only a kid.”

“As are you.”

Zuko nodded. “But I am no longer under my father’s influence.”

Iroh raised an eyebrow at him. “You… have changed a lot in the past twenty-four hours.”

“I know.”

“It must have been some dream.”

“It was.” 

Before anyone could say anything else, there was a loud nose behind Zuko. He looked for the source and saw a flare… the same flare he’d seen when he first saw Aang. 

“What do you think that is?” Iroh asked dazedly. 

“The Avatar, maybe?” Zuko suggested. 

“Let us hope you are that lucky. We are nearing the plateau of the Southern Water Tribe. We will need to get out of this boat soon.”

Zuko nodded. “Just tell me when.”

A few minutes later, Zuko got as close to the ice as possible without touching it and Iroh jumped out. He steadied the boat for Zuko to get off as well. Iroh took out a stake and some rope, the latter of which he tossed to Zuko. He nailed the stake in as Zuko tied the rope to the boat.  
  
“Pass me the rope, please,” Iroh requested. He tied the boat to the stake and he and Zuko watched it for a few moments to make sure it was secure. 

“All right, let’s go and - ” Zuko stopped as he turned around. There was a spear pointed at his throat. The person holding said spear was - 

“Let’s go and _what_?” Sokka demanded. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Ben Wyatt pizza voice* Consistent chapter length? Never heard of it.


	3. The Avatar Returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feedback has been so nice... thanks 2 everyone who commented.
> 
> here's how the posting process went: i can't post another chapter until i finish chapter eleven *spends like four hours working on chapter eleven* okay i can post another chapter.

Zuko was so shocked to see young Sokka that he froze for a few moments. He held back a smile. Sokka looked so cute trying to intimidate him. They had all been so young back then. 

Zuko wasn’t even in his armor, just basic Fire Nation robes. They were Fire Nation colors, though, so Sokka definitely knew where they were from. He probably thought they were benders, too. Which they were, but they could’ve pretended not to be had they worn different clothes. Zuko wanted to hit himself, but he didn’t want to get stabbed in the throat, so he just stood there, regretting his clothing decisions. It’s not as if his wardrobe contained any other colors, but he still felt like he’d already failed. 

Zuko supposed he shouldn’t expect himself to account for  _ every _ thing. After all, it wasn’t a good idea to lie to his future friends. Friendship is built on trust and it had taken a lot to get everyone to trust him the first time around. 

“Let’s just tell him the truth, Uncle,” Zuko finally said. He looked at Sokka and put his hands up. “My uncle and I are here to offer our help to an airbender. As you’ve likely assumed from our attire, we are both firebenders. There are very few firebenders who would be willing to protect an airbender, since most other citizens were brainwashed into supporting the genocide. We figure this is his best - and only - option. My name is Zuko and that’s Iroh,” he continued, cocking his head towards his uncle. 

“How am I supposed to believe that?! The last time the Fire Nation was here, people died!”

Zuko knew he was talking about his mother. “I understand why you’re wary to be around us. Our nation has been doing terrible things for a hundred years. If you’d like to take us prisoner, that’s fine. If you tie us up, I promise not to burn my way out of it. Just please let us talk to the airbender. If he denies our help, you will never see us again.”

Sokka touched the tip of his spear to Zuko’s throat. “How do you even know we have an airbender here?

“We saw it from our rowboat after he set off that flare. Look, our story is pretty complicated. It’d be best if we just explained everything to you and him at the same time.”

Sokka sighed. “Yeah, I have to deal with that flare fiasco, too. Come on, I’m tying you up. You can wait for that kid in the village.” He stabbed his spear into the ground and pulled some rope out of a pocket.

Zuko obediently held out his hands. Sokka tried them and moved on to Uncle. 

“What is your name, young man?” Iroh asked. Zuko was wondering why he hadn’t spoken this entire time. 

Sokka looked surprised. “... my name is Sokka.”

“It is very nice to meet you, Sokka. I am Iroh.”

“I know, your companion told me.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Sokka!” Zuko tried with his most charming smile. 

Sokka rolled his eyes as he finished tying Iroh’s hands. “You’re not as endearing as him.”

“Is it the scar? The hat?”

“Yeah, it’s the hat,” Sokka said sarcastically. 

Zuko smirked. He could play along. “I look better this way, I promise. I got a pretty bad haircut and I’m still waiting for it to grow out.”

“Ugh! I don’t care about your stupid hair!” Sokka pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath. “Just follow me.”

Zuko smiled mischievously. He couldn’t believe this time  _ he’d _ annoyed Sokka instead of the other way around. 

He and Iroh filed in behind Sokka and started walking. 

“Zuko,” Iroh whispered. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

“Yes, Uncle, I promise. If you’re not okay with this, I won’t force you to stay. I’ll miss you, though.”

“No, Zuko. I’m with you.”

“Thank you, Uncle. Will you come with me if the airbender agrees?”

“Of course. I’m not too old to stop adventuring. Not yet, anyway.”

Zuko smiled. “I love you, Uncle Iroh.”

Iroh gave him a surprised look before breaking out into a smile too. “Thank you for telling me, Zuko. I love you, too.”

Sokka groaned. “Do you two not realize I’m here or something?"

“We’re just ignoring you!” Zuko responded cheerfully. 

“Well, stop it. We’re here.” Sokka led them under a snow arch to a small village. There were a few children playing in the snow and middle-aged and elderly women doing chores. There was also a giant flying bison just outside the village.  _ Appa! _ Uncle gasped as they walked by; Zuko, who had been used to the sight for years, didn’t even bat an eye.

“Is this… the Southern Water Tribe?” Zuko asked in disbelief. 

Sokka nodded. “We don’t have a lot of people because your Fire Nation buddies took all our waterbenders, and the men left to fight in the war.”

“I’m so sorry,” Zuko said. “They probably thought the next Avatar was here. What a bunch of assholes.”

“Zuko, it may not be wise to use that kind of language in such a tense situation,” Iroh advised. 

“What does that even mean? I’ve never heard that word before,” Sokka admitted.

Zuko smiled wide. He could teach everyone curse words. He couldn’t wait to teach Toph. “An asshole is the place where poop comes out,” he explained. 

“It is a curse. Curses are bad words used to describe bad situations or people, generally. You do not have to use them unless you wish to. My nephew has been with sailors for too long and has picked up their speaking habits.”

“Why were you with sailors?” Sokka asked. 

“It’d be best to explain that when we have more time. Look over there.” Zuko pointed at two figures in the distance. One wore blue and one wore yellow: Katara and Aang, clearly.

“Yay! Aang’s back!” one of the children said. Some children ran over to him while their parents shot him nasty looks.

“You see what you did? You signaled the Fire Navy with that flare! They’re here right now!” Sokka angrily pointed to Iroh and Zuko. They both smiled and waved (as much as they could, being tied up).

“Aang didn’t do anything! It was an accident,” Katara protested. “Wait, who are these people?”

“Firebenders. They want to talk to Aang.”

Aang smiled and turned to them. “Flamey-o, my good hotmen! I’m Aang!”

“Erm… nice to meet you, Aang. I am Iroh and this is my nephew, Zuko,” Iroh said.

“What did you wanna talk about?” Aang asked, tilting his head to the side. 

Zuko smiled. Aang was so cheerful and friendly. He’d always been that way, Zuko supposed, but the war had taken its toll on him. He was so happy to see Aang; he had been Zuko’s best friend. In his time, at least.

“Aang, we need to deal with you and that flare first,” Sokka said firmly, walking in front of Iroh and Zuko. “Tell me what happened.”

Aang looked guiltily at Sokka. “We were on the ship and there was this booby trap, and, well - ” Aang awkwardly rubbed his head “- we booby-ed right into it.”

An older woman came forward. Zuko recognized her as Sokka and Katara’s grandmother. “Katara, you shouldn’t have gone on that ship! Your brother found these firebenders outside our walls. Now we’re  _ all _ in danger,” she said sternly.

“Don’t blame Katara,” Aang interjected. “I brought her there. It’s all my fault.”

“Aha! The traitor confesses! Warriors, away from the enemy.” The children reluctantly walked back to their parents. “The foreigner is banished from our village,” Sokka declared.

Zuko tensed. How could they speak to Aang if he was banished?

Katara clenched her fists. “Sokka, you’re making a mistake.”

“No, I’m keeping my promise to Dad. I’m protecting you, from threats like him!” Sokka responded, pointing to Aang.

“Aang is  _ not _ our enemy! Don’t you see? Aang’s brought us something we haven’t had in a long time: fun.”

“Fun?!” Sokka repeated. “We can’t fight firebenders with fun!”

“He’s right,” Iroh whispered. Zuko nodded his agreement.

“You should try it sometime,” Aang optimistically suggested.

“Get out of our village!  _ Now _ !” Sokka said angrily. “You two can go with him,” he added, pointing to Zuko and Iroh. They nodded and stood, making to follow Aang out.

“Fine!” Katara yelled. “Then I’m banished, too! Come on, Aang.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards Appa.

“Um, Katara?” Zuko began. He was still a bit scared of her, even after all these years.

“What?” she snapped.

“I was banished from the Fire Nation. I haven’t been home in two years. This isn’t a choice to take lightly.”

“I hate to agree with a firebender, but he’s right. Would you really choose him over your own tribe? Your own family?” Sokka said. 

Katara looked between Sokka and Aang.

“Katara,” Aang spoke up, “I don’t want to come between you and your family.”

“So you’re leaving the South Pole? This is goodbye?” Katara asked quietly.

Aang nodded. “Well, I have to talk to Zuko and Iroh first,” he said, gesturing at them. “We’ll be over by Appa.” He pointed to the bison. “Thanks for penguin sledding with me. It was nice meeting everyone!” Aang called to the rest of the tribe. He waved goodbye and walked over to Appa. Iroh and Zuko followed him.

“So, what did you wanna talk to me about?” Aang asked.

Zuko and Iroh exchanged a look. They both nodded and burned through the ropes tying their hands.

“We know you’re the Avatar. We’re here to offer to teach you firebending. After you’ve learned water and earth, of course,” Zuko said.

Aang looked down and kicked the snow. “How did you know?”

“Avatar Roku was the Fire Nation Avatar over a hundred years ago. When he died, the next Avatar was reincarnated as an Air Nomad. No one has seen an airbender in a hundred years,” Iroh explained. “Therefore, we came to the conclusion that you are the Avatar.”

“Thank you for not telling Sokka and Katara.”

“It is not our knowledge to share,” Iroh said understandingly.

Zuko looked around and saw Sokka glaring at them. Zuko guessed he wasn’t happy that they hadn’t left yet. He gave Sokka a little wave and smiled when he saw his frown deepen.

“I apologize for rushing you, Aang, but I think Sokka’s gonna pull a muscle in his forehead if he keeps frowning at us. Do you accept our offer to teach you firebending when the time comes? We’re basically your only option.”

“Well, hold on a minute. You’re my only options? I’m sure there are many firebending teachers willing to teach me in the Fire Nation.”

Zuko winced. “No, there aren’t. The Fire Lord has been on a century-long imperialist conquest to take over the world. You’re the only person who can stop him. He’s convinced almost every other firebender or Fire Nation citizen that you, the Avatar, are impeding the Fire Nation’s glory.”

“The Fire Nation isn’t like that!” Aang exclaimed.

“Maybe it wasn’t a hundred years ago. Unfortunately, things have changed. If you’re seen in the Fire Nation, they’ll kill you,” Zuko said seriously.

Aang’s eyes widened. Zuko felt awful telling him this, but he needed to know.  _ This poor kid _ .

“... then I guess I have no other options. I accept. You guys can come with me while I learn waterbending and earthbending, too. If I get hunted by firebenders, who better to help defend me than other firebenders?”

“You’re very optimistic, young one. It is refreshing,” Iroh said with a smile.

Sokka cleared his throat loudly. 

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes. “He and Katara should just come with us. You need to go to the Northern Water Tribe to learn waterbending, right?”

Aang nodded once.

“Come with me,” Zuko said, grabbing Aang’s arm.

“Where are we going?”

“To convince them to accompany us.”

“I’m going to spend some quality time with your bison,” Iroh called to them.

“His name is Appa!” Aang called back.

“I’m going to spend some quality time with Appa,” Iroh corrected.

“Why are you coming back here? I banished you!” Sokka said as they approached. 

“We’re technically not ‘here’ since we haven’t crossed the threshold into your village yet. We’d like to speak with you, Katara, and your grandmother,” Zuko requested. 

“What gives you the right to do that?”

“Sokka, please. It’s important,” Aang said, giving him a very serious look.

“Fine. You get two minutes, at  _ most _ . I’ll be back; don’t move while I’m gone.” He walked farther into the village.

“Man, that guy is wound up tight,” Zuko commented as soon as Sokka was out of range.

“Yeah,” Aang agreed. “Airbenders really put an emphasis on fun and freedom and not taking things too seriously. Sokka’s pretty much the opposite of that. It’s like he’s forgotten how to be a kid.”

“He’s probably been forced to grow up too fast. I know I was,” Zuko remarked.

“You can still have fun, Zuko. I’ll show you sometime.”

“I’d like that.”

Sokka returned with his grandmother and Katara in tow.

“Aang. Firebender. Talk.”

“My  _ name _ is Zuko. Aang has something to tell you three.” Zuko looked at Aang expectantly. Aang frowned back. Zuko cocked his head towards Sokka. Aang shook his head. 

“Aang,” Zuko said exasperatedly.

“Fine,” Aang grumbled. He took a deep breath before continuing. “I’m the Avatar.”

Sokka and Katara’s jaws dropped. Somehow, their grandmother seemed unfazed. 

“Zuko and Iroh offered to teach me firebending when the time comes. Until then, I need a waterbending teacher. Katara, I know you need one too. Sokka, we need a warrior to protect us. I want you both to come with me on Appa to the Northern Water Tribe.” Aang looked expectantly at the trio. 

Sokka and Katara seemed to be in shock. Zuko waved his hand in front of Sokka’s face and Sokka didn’t even flinch.

Zuko shrugged and turned towards their grandmother. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

“I hardly think it is my place to decide something for my grandchildren,” she said, chuckling. “I figured Aang was the Avatar. It was the only conclusion that made sense.”

Zuko nodded and waited for Sokka and Katara to process what they’d just heard. 

After about a minute passed with no response, Aang turned to Zuko. “Will you show me some firebending?”

“Sure,” Zuko said, summoning a flame to his hand.

“Whoa.” Aang peered closer. Zuko took a step back.

“Be careful. Fire is dangerous and difficult to control.” Zuko put the flame out.

That seemed to snap Sokka and Katara out of it. 

“Why didn’t you tell us you were the Avatar?” Katara asked.

“Because… I never wanted to be,” Aang answered.

“And now you’re inviting us to come with you… even after we banished you? Like ten minutes ago?” Sokka asked incredulously.

Aang nodded. “I’m a monk. I’m all about letting go and living well.”

“Sokka,” Katara started. “This might be my only chance to learn waterbending. We have to go with them.”

“But what about Gran-Gran?”

“I can take care of the village while you two help the Avatar save the world. You’ll need to pack supplies, though. I can gather what we can spare.”

“So, Sokka? What do you say?” Katara asked with hopeful eyes.

“I… okay. If only to protect Katara from the firebenders.”

Zuko and Aang cheered.

“We’ll meet you back here in a few minutes,” Gran-Gran said as she led Sokka and Katara away. 

“Aang.”

“Yeah?”

“My uncle and I came here on a ship. It’s anchored about a mile north. On our way out, can we go back there to grab our money and dismiss the crew?”

“Sure.”

* * *

“It’s a Fire Nation ship, though, so don’t let anyone see you or Appa.”

“That’s not exactly easy. He’s a ten-ton flying bison.”

“We’ll figure something out.”

“Very well. But why do you even have a crew for just you and Iroh?”

“It’s complicated. I promise I’ll tell you, and everyone else, about it one day. Just not today.”

“Okay.”

“We’re ready to go!” Katara said, announcing her return.

“Though I still doubt your bison can even fly,” Sokka added, unprompted.

“We’ll leave you to say goodbye to everyone. Meet us by Appa,” Zuko said, turning away to give them some privacy.

“I can’t believe things worked out this way,” Aang said as he followed Zuko back to Appa.

“Neither can I.” 

“Your bison is very friendly, Aang!” Iroh said as soon as they were in earshot.

Aang giggled as Appa licked Iroh’s entire body. “I think he likes you.”

Iroh gave a hearty laugh. “I think I like him too.”

Zuko took the time to get better acquainted with Appa as well. Before long, Sokka and Katara joined them. 

“Everyone, get in the saddle.” 

Zuko sat next to Iroh closer to where Aang held the reins. Sokka and Katara sat across from them. They both eyed him warily. 

Zuko sighed. “You’re going to have to learn to trust me eventually.”

“I doubt you’ll ever be able to earn it,” Sokka retorted.

Aang came to his defense. “Give him a chance, Sokka. Surely not everyone in the Fire Nation is evil.” 

“No, it’s just that most of us have been exposed to too much propaganda. In that environment, it’s hard not to believe that the war is spreading prosperity across the world,” Zuko explained. 

“They really… believe that?” Sokka asked in disbelief. 

Zuko nodded. “It’s what they teach us in school.”

“That’s… terrifying,” Katara said. 

Zuko and Iroh nodded solemnly. 

“Yip, yip!” 

Appa lifted his tail and soon enough, they were flying. 

“He’s flying!” Sokka yelled. “He’s flying! Katara he’s - ” Sokka saw Katara’s smirk - “I mean, big deal. It’s more like hovering, anyway,” he added monotonously. 

Zuko smiled. “So, something you two should know: Uncle and I came here on a ship and we need to go back and tell the crew that we’re leaving. We also left behind some money we could use for supplies.”

“And you didn’t think to bring that with you?” Sokka deadpanned. 

“I didn’t know Aang would accept our offer. I’m sorry for the inconvenience. I doubt it’ll take you too far off schedule though.”

“Hey, Zuko,” Aang said from behind him. 

“Yeah?” 

“Is that your ship down there?”

Zuko looked over Appa’s saddle. “Yeah, that’s it. Can you set us down somewhere high?”

“Sure.”

“Zuko, how do you intend for us to get down there without being seen?”

Zuko and Iroh were looking down on their ship from a cliff. 

“I had… one idea. We could fly down with our firebending.”

“Can you do that?” Iroh asked. 

“I doubt it. But you can. The crew would prefer to see you, anyways. You have been more kind to them than I ever was.”

“Okay, Zuko. I will go.”

“Be careful, Uncle.” Zuko gave him a hug and Iroh jetted off the cliff, leaving some melted snow in his place. 

Zuko walked over to Aang, Katara, and Sokka. 

“I just don’t understand how you can trust him, Aang. You barely know him!” Sokka was saying. 

“I barely know you and Katara, too,” Aang responded calmly. “Besides, I had friends all over the world a hundred years ago, including in the Fire Nation. I’ve only had good experiences with firebenders.”

“Things have changed, Aang,” Katara said in a soft voice. 

“You know, if you’re worried about trusting me, why don’t you just talk to  _ me _ about it?” Zuko interjected. He’d walked right into a conversation about himself and they didn’t notice until he spoke up. They’d have to work on their spatial awareness.

Sokka eyed him warily. “You’ll answer all of our questions?”

“Depends on how personal they are. You’re welcome to ask, though.”

“How did you get that scar?” Katara asked quietly. 

“A firebender gave it to me,” Zuko answered. 

“Who?” Aang cut in. 

“I’d rather not talk about it right now. I promise to tell you all one day. It’s just not something I’m always comfortable discussing.”

“We understand,” Aang said. “I heard you telling Katara earlier that you were banished from the Fire Nation. What happened?”

“I spoke out against a plan by a general at a war meeting. He suggested we use some new recruits as a gruesome distraction. The more experienced troops would exploit the shock of their deaths to ambush the Earth Kingdom soldiers from behind. It wasn’t my place to speak.”

“The Fire Nation sounds pretty strict. They banished you just for that?” Sokka had perked up as he’d talked. 

“It’s a bit more complicated but that’s all I’m willing to share today.”

“Why do you wear that hat?” Aang asked. 

“Bad haircut.”

“Can we see?” Sokka asked. 

“Are you sure? It’s really bad.”

“Okay, now we have to see it!” Sokka decided. 

“Fine, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Zuko took off his hat. “It’s ridiculous, right?”

“A bit,” Aang agreed. “It’ll grow out, though.”

Sokka burst out laughing. “Sorry, I just couldn’t hold it in anymore. You were right, Zuko, that is ridiculous!”

Zuko nodded and put his hat back on. He waited to speak until Sokka’s laughter died down. “Any other questions?”

Aang, Sokka, and Katara paused to think. 

“Nothing that I can think of right now,” Aang said. 

“Me either,” Katara added. 

“Same here,” Sokka said. 

“Well, if you think of something else, feel free to ask me.”

“Oh!” Aang jumped up. “Where did your Uncle go?”

“He went down to the ship.”

“How’d he get there?” Sokka asked. 

“Firebending. Some skilled firebenders can bend fire from their hands and feet and propel themselves into the air,” Zuko explained. 

“Can you do that, too?”

“I used to be able to. I’m a bit out of practice. It’s such a specific and rarely used skill. I don’t see a point in practicing it.”

“Zuko, you  _ have _ to teach that move to me. Re-learn how to do it and then teach me after I master earth!” Aang looked up at him with pleading eyes. Zuko couldn’t say no. 

“All right. I promise.”

Zuko heard a noise behind him and looked around. Iroh had returned.

“Wow! He was flying! That’s amazing,” Aang said.

Zuko nodded. “Uncle is a very skilled firebender.”

Iroh walked over to them. “I have our supplies and money.”

“Thank you, Uncle. What did you tell the crew?”

“I told them that we wanted to take a rowboat around the world, starting here. I released them from our service. They will return to the Fire Nation.”

“I doubt anyone will come find us, but we should be careful all the same.”

“I agree.”

“Aang? Can we get going now?” Zuko asked.

“Sure thing! Everybody on!”

This time, Sokka and Katara didn’t sit so far away. And they only glared at him once!

“Yip yip!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just realized that in later chapters i use zuko sharing his scar story as a way for everyone to bond with him individually. lol.


	4. The Southern Air Temple

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Aang :/ my boy ain't deserve this

They traveled pretty far before settling down for the night. Aang had wanted to stop at the Southern Air Temple, where he was from, before continuing to the Northern Water Tribe. 

Zuko couldn’t tell him about the genocide of his people. He knew he should, but he just couldn’t take away Aang’s innocence like that. It wasn’t his place. He knew Aang would find out as soon as they arrived at the empty temple anyway. Still, Zuko slept uneasily.

He got up as the sun rose and began packing up his and Iroh’s sleeping pads. Like Aang, their bending granted them the ability to preserve their warmth. Sokka and Katara were the only ones who’d brought sleeping bags. 

Iroh was making some tea by a fire next to Appa. Everyone else was still asleep, the bison included. Zuko walked over and sat by him.

“Uncle, I’m worried about Aang. How will he react to actually _seeing_ what the Fire Nation did to his people? He’s so innocent and cheerful… I don’t want him to lose that,” Zuko said quietly.

“Our experiences shape who we are. This one will be difficult, but Aang will always be himself, regardless of what he goes through,” Uncle said as he stirred the tea.

“We can’t hide this from him, no matter how much we’d like to.” 

Iroh hummed his agreement.

“Can we talk some more about Azula?”

“I suppose. I understand your point about how her being under Ozai’s influence prevents her from becoming her own person. I just do not see any way for us to help her out of it.”

“Perhaps we can send her a letter? At least get her thinking for herself.”

“And what if she just shows the letter to Ozai and we become wanted criminals?”

“Technically, we already are, but no one knows.”

“Wouldn’t you prefer it stay that way?”

“I don’t know.” Zuko shook his head. “I don’t know the right thing to do, here.”

“Neither do I, Zuko. Is it worth the risk on the off-chance that Azula frees herself from my brother’s influence?”

Zuko thought about how much he regretted doing nothing to help Azula in the past. He couldn’t do that again.

“Yes. It’s worth the risk,” he decided.

“Very well. Do you have anything to send her a letter with?”

“... no. Maybe the next time we stop in a town we can get some.”

“Think very carefully about what you are going to say, Zuko. You will likely only have one shot at this.”

“I know. Thank you for your advice, Uncle.”

They sat and drank tea until everyone else woke up. Surprisingly, Aang and Katara awoke at the same time. They started packing up the camp before even having any breakfast. 

“Too excited to eat first, Aang?” Zuko asked.

“Yup!” Aang said excitedly. He and Katara climbed onto Appa. Katara tidied up their luggage while Aang checked the knots fastened to Appa’s horns. “Wait ‘til you see it, Katara! The Air Temple is one of the most _beautiful_ places in the world!”

“Aang, I know you’re excited, but it’s been a hundred years since you’ve been home.” 

Aang smiled broadly. “That’s _why_ I’m so excited.”

“It’s just that… a lot can change in all that time,” Katara continued in a cautious tone.

“I know, but I need to see it for myself.” With that, Aang jumped off Appa and went to wake up Sokka. 

Zuko couldn’t quite make out what words were said, but he did hear Sokka scream, so he figured he was awake. 

Zuko and Iroh packed up their tea set and put out the fire before joining Katara in the saddle. Sokka grumpily joined them a few moments later.

* * *

Sokka’s stomach had been growling for the past ten minutes.

“I can’t take this anymore,” Zuko said after Sokka’s stomach growled _again_. “Here.” He passed him a bag of seal jerky. 

Sokka gasped. “Thank you, Zuko!”

Zuko’s eyes widened. That was the first time Sokka had called him by his name this time around. 

_I guess food is how I’ll gain_ his _trust. He does love meat. Maybe Iroh and I can cook some for him sometime?_ Zuko smiled to himself. 

“The Patola Mountain Range! We’re almost there!” Aang said excitedly. 

Zuko remembered this place. He’d been to every Air Temple looking for Aang. This was a very different experience. 

“Aang, before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders,” Katara began uneasily. 

“What about ‘em?” Aang responded, cheerful as ever. 

“Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. No offense,” Katara added, looking at Zuko and Iroh. 

“None taken. You’re right, after all,” Zuko said. 

“They killed my mother,” Katara continued sadly. “They could have done the same to your people.”

Aang pondered over her words for a bit. “Just because no one has seen an airbender, doesn’t mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped!”

Katara places a hand on Aang’s shoulder. “I know it’s hard to accept.”

“You don’t understand, Katara. The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation have any flying bison! Right, Appa?”

Appa grunted. 

Zuko looked over at Uncle uneasily. 

“Yip yip!” 

Appa flew over one last ridge and the temple came into view. 

“There it is,” Aang said. “The Southern Air Temple.”

“Aang, it’s amazing!” Katara said. 

Zuko had to agree. 

Aang patted Appa’s head. “We’re home, buddy. We’re home.”

Appa landed and Aang excitedly led them around. Uncle Iroh decided to stay by the bison and prepare their next meal. He’d already seen the temple with Zuko, anyway. 

“So this is where my friends and I would play airball,” he said, pointing to a stadium with a bunch of tall poles, “and over there is where the bison would sleep and…” Aang sighed. 

“What’s wrong?” Zuko asked. 

“This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there’s just a bunch of weeds. I can’t believe how much things have changed.”

Sokka walked up to Aang. “So, uh, this airball game. How do you play?”

Aang perked up at that. “Come on, Zuko, you play too!”

As it turned out, airball was very hard to play if you weren’t an airbender. Sokka and Zuko couldn’t throw the ball without Aang sending it flying back towards them. They ended up getting knocked into the snow, _a lot_. 

“Fuckin’ _ow_ ,” Zuko said after he fell for the seventh time.

“Aang, seven, Sokka and Zuko, zero!” Aang called. 

Zuko looked over at Sokka and Katara. “I know we’re trying to make him feel better but - ” Zuko cut himself off. There was a helmet lying in the snow behind Sokka. Zuko walked over to it. 

“Fire Nation,” Katara said. 

“We should tell him,” Sokka suggested. 

“Aang! There’s something you need to see,” Katara called. 

“Okay!” Aang jumped across the poles and made his way to them. 

Just before he got there, a mound of snow fell on top of them. Zuko froze in shock. 

“Katara,” Sokka growled next to him. 

“What is it?” Aang asked. 

“Uh… just a new waterbending move I learned,” Katara lied. 

“Nice one! But enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!” Zuko heard Aang’s light footsteps recede. 

He heated himself up until the snow melted and stood up. 

Zuko looked at Katara. “You can’t protect him forever.” 

Katara looked over at Aang. “I can try.”

“Um, a little help?” Sokka cried from under the snow. 

Zuko sighed. “Go with Aang, Katara. We’ll catch up.” Katara walked away. “Give me your hand, Sokka.”

“Okay.” Sokka offered it to him. Zuko grabbed it and pulled him out. 

“I can melt the snow on your clothes if you’d like,” Zuko offered. 

“No way! I’m not letting you firebend anywhere near me!”

“What about last night when I started the fire we used to cook?”

“That’s… different.”

“Whatever. Let’s go.”

They followed Aang and Katara into a courtyard. Sokka pulled Katara aside and argued with her in hushed tones. He was probably upset with her for hiding the truth about the airbenders.

Zuko walked over to Aang. “So, what was this area used for?”

“My friends and I used to hang out here during lunch,” Aang explained. He stared up at a statue of a monk and smiled widely. “Hey guys!” he called to Katara and Sokka. “I want you to meet somebody.”

“Who’s that?” Sokka said.

“Monk Gyatso! The greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know.” 

Aang bowed in front of the statue and was silent for a few moments. Then he looked up at Monk Gyatso with a more serious face.

Katara put a hand on his shoulder. “You must miss him.”

“Yeah.” Aang walked over to some stairs behind the statue.

“Where are you going?” Katara asked.

“The air temple sanctuary. There’s someone I’m ready to meet.” And with that, Aang disappeared into the darkness.

Zuko shrugged at Katara and Sokka before going after Aang. He led them to a door with a few Air Nomad symbols.

“But Aang, no one could’ve survived in there for a hundred years.” Katara was as hopeful as ever.

Aang looked up at the symbols. “It’s not impossible. I survived in the iceberg for that long.”

“Good point.”

Aang started bouncing forward and backward on his heels. “Katara, whoever’s in there might help me figure out this Avatar thing!”

“Do you think Aang’s forgotten that we’re here?” Zuko whispered to Sokka.

“Maybe. He seems to be in love with Katara,” Sokka whispered back.

“We can hear you!” Katara said sternly.

“Whatever,” Sokka said nonchalantly. “I don’t suppose you have a key to open this door, do you Aang?”

“The key, Sokka, is airbending.” Aang took a deep breath, assumed a stance, and started bending. Zuko felt a gust of wind.

He watched one of the tubes on the door flip over from the blue side to the purple one; once all three tube circles were purple, the massive door opened.

“Hello?” Aang called out. “Anyone home?” 

The four of them walked inside.

“Statues? That’s it?” Sokka said incredulously.

“Who are all these people?” Katara asked.

“I’m not sure. But it feels like I know them somehow.”

“The statues follow a pattern: air, water, earth, and fire. The Avatar Cycle,” Zuko realized. “They’re probably your past lives.”

“I used to be all these people? There are so many!” 

“Past lives?” Sokka scoffed. “You all really believe in that stuff?”

“It’s true,” Katara said. “When the Avatar dies, they’re reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle.”

Aang seemed mesmerized by a statue of an old man. Zuko thought it looked familiar but he couldn’t quite place the man’s name. 

Katara noticed it, too. She grabbed Aang’s shoulders and shook him a bit. “Aang, snap out of it!”

“Huh?” Aang said dazedly.

Katara followed his gaze to the statue. “Who is that?”

“That’s Avatar Roku. The Avatar before me.”

Sokka walked up to them. “You were a firebender? No wonder I didn’t trust you when we first met.”

“You don’t trust me or Uncle yet either, do you?”

“Not one bit!”

Zuko sighed.

Katara ignored them and looked closer at the base of the statue. “There’s no writing. How do you know his name?”

“I’m not sure. I just know it somehow.”

Sokka crossed his arms. “This just couldn’t get any weirder.”

“Actually… Avatar Roku was my great-grandfather on my mother’s side,” Zuko said, gleefully watching everyone’s faces morph into surprise.

“Does that make me your great-grandfather?” Aang asked delightedly.

Zuko chuckled. “Obviously.”

“Go to your room!” Aang commanded. 

“Yes, Grandfather,” Zuko laughed.

Suddenly, they heard a noise behind them. Everyone turned around. There was a shadow approaching them. The shape was disturbingly similar to a firebender helmet. 

_Why would the Fire Nation be here?_ Zuko thought. _They know the airbenders are all gone. Coming here would be a tremendous waste of resources. They don’t even know the Avatar is back. Something doesn’t add up._

Sokka, Katara, and Aang all hid behind a statue. Zuko hid as well, but kept his head out so he could watch the shadow get closer. 

“Firebender,” Sokka whispered. “Nobody make a sound.”

“You’re making a sound!” Katara whispered back.

Aang and Sokka shushed her. Everyone waited tensely as the shadow drew closer. 

Zuko suddenly heard a chitter. It sounded suspiciously like Momo. As the shadow inched closer, he realized it _was_ Momo. Zuko stepped out from his hiding place. 

“You guys, it’s just a lemur,” Zuko said.

“Zuko! What are you doing?!” Sokka whispered.

“There’s no reason for the Fire Nation to be here. No one knows Aang is alive. Just look.”

Aang gasped. “Lemur!”

Aang’s yell scared Momo, so he ran away.

“Wait! Come back! I want you to be my pet!” Aang ran after it.

Zuko sighed. “Better make sure he doesn’t get into any trouble.” 

Zuko followed the sound of Aang’s laughter. He was clearly enjoying the chase. 

A few minutes later, he couldn’t hear Aang anymore. He had entered the remains of a tent. Something was wrong. Zuko ran over and pulled the drapes aside. 

“Firebenders? They were here?” Aang was looking at a skeleton dressed in yellow monk robes surrounded by Fire Nation helmets. “Gyatso.” Aang let out a mournful sigh and dropped to his knees, sobbing softly. 

“Oh, shit.” Zuko knelt down next to him. “I’m so sorry, Aang.” He put a comforting hand on Aang’s shoulder.

Aang stilled. His tattoos began to glow.

“Oh, _shit_.” Zuko had rarely seen Aang in the Avatar State, and certainly not reflexively like this. 

The wind began to pick up. 

“Aang, calm down! I know it’s stupid of me to ask that after what you just saw but who knows what you’re capable of right now? Please, just snap out of it!” 

And Zuko was promptly blown away from Aang. He managed to grab onto some stone, but damn. _Fair enough. That speech was not useful._

He lost his hat to the winds. Thankfully, it had been a week and his hair was already growing back. 

Maybe Katara could help? She and Aang had been dating in his future. Love is strong, right?

Zuko decided to risk it. “Katara! Help!”

She and Sokka were outside within seconds. 

“What happened?” Katara yelled over the wind.

“He found out firebenders killed Gyatso!” Zuko yelled back.

“Oh no! It’s his Avatar Spirit! He must have triggered it. I’m going to go try and calm him down.” Katara held up an arm to shield herself from the debris flying all over the place.

Sokka barely made it to Zuko’s cover, being pushed left and right by the winds. “Well, do it! Before he blows us off the mountain!”  
  


* * *

_Elsewhere, in the Fire Nation..._

“Send word to the Fire Lord immediately! The Avatar has returned!”

* * *

Katara slowly made her way forward. Zuko and Sokka watched tensely. 

“Zuko!” Sokka gasped. He was losing his hold.

Zuko grabbed Sokka’s arm right as he lost his grip. It was _much_ harder to hold on against the wind with only one hand. “Son of a fucking bitch! Katara, hurry up!”

Katara nodded. She was holding onto a rock as well. Aang was floating too high for anyone to physically reach him.

“Aang! I know you’re upset and I know how hard it is to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom.”

Zuko managed to pull Sokka back up. 

“Thank you.”

Zuko nodded and turned his attention back to Katara.

“Monk Gyatso and the other airbenders may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I, and Iroh and Zuko! We’re your family now!”

Zuko’s eyes widened. Did she really think of them that way?

Aang slowly lowered to the ground as the winds died down. They all ran over to him. 

“We aren’t going to let anything happen to you. Promise,” Sokka said.

Katara took Aang’s hand. His eyes and tattoos returned to their normal color. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay. It wasn’t your fault,” Katara said.

“But you were right. And if the firebenders found this temple, that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender.”

Katara hugged Aang tightly. Zuko and Sokka put their hands on his shoulders. 

Iroh had prepared an amazing meal, even though things had gotten a little jostled after Aang went into the Avatar State.

As Zuko was loading up Appa, Sokka approached him. 

“Something wrong?” Zuko asked.

“No… the opposite, actually.”

Zuko raised an eyebrow.

“I wanted to thank you for earlier. You probably saved my life.” Sokka looked so serious.

“Oh, um, it was nothing, I guess?” Zuko responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

“No, it was a pretty big deal. You’re really strong.”

“Thanks.”

Sokka looked Zuko up and down.

“Anything else you need?” Zuko asked slowly.

“Huh?” Sokka snapped out of it. “Oh, uh, yeah. I think I can maybe sort of trust you now. A teeny, tiny bit. You could’ve just let me die. But you could also be biding your time, waiting for all of us to trust you so you can betray us at our most vulnerable moments.”

“If you say so.” Zuko looked to the ground then back to Sokka. “Do you think Katara meant it? That we’re all Aang’s family now?”

“Well, we’re probably stuck with each other from here on out. So yeah, I guess we are” Sokka smiled. Zuko smiled back. 

Aang and Katara returned soon after, with Momo in tow. Momo was in his usual place, tail curled around Aang’s neck and standing on his shoulder.

“Katara, Sokka, Zuko, Iroh, say hello to the newest member of the family!” Aang said, pointing at Momo.

“Have you decided on a name?” Sokka asked.

“No, not yet.”

“I’ll bet he likes peaches. How about Momo?” Zuko offered.

“That’s perfect, Zuko. Thanks. Welcome to the family, Momo.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just think that Zuko should get to curse


	5. The Kyoshi Warriors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gettin' into more dialogue lifted directly from the show, so I thought I'd show this disclaimer again: show belongs to Nickelodeon (I know they can't sue me because I'm not making money but I just wanted to be transparent)

Sokka stared at his map. “You have no idea where you’re going, do you?”

“Well… I know it’s near water,” Aang said.

“I guess we’re getting close then,” Sokka said sarcastically.

Iroh laughed. Zuko smiled, too. That was probably why he’d had such a hard time tracking them down. Aang had no idea where he was going. 

“Katara, do you have any extra sewing supplies? I need to sew up some holes in Uncle’s clothes.”

“You know how to do that?” Sokka asked. 

“Uh, yeah? I lived on a ship for two years. Of course I know how to sew.”

“Here,” Katara said, handing him a bag.

“Thanks.”

“Sewing? That’s not very manly,” Sokka said.

“And I suppose you’re an expert on manliness?” Zuko asked as he looped some thread through the needle.

“Well, yeah. I am a man, after all.”

Zuko shared a look with Katara. They both went back to sewing.

“Hey Katara, check out this airbending trick!” Zuko looked up to see Aang spinning two marbles very quickly in the air. He’d seen it a million times by now. Zuko returned to sewing the holes in Uncle’s shirt. 

“That’s great, Aang,” Katara said without looking up.

Aang stopped, disappointed. “You didn’t even look.”

Katara looked at Aang and smiled. “That’s great!”

“But I’m not doing it now.”

Sokka waved his arm. “Stop bugging her, airhead. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing.”

Zuko looked over at Sokka incredulously.

“What does me being a _girl_ have to do with sewing?” Katara asked.

Zuko recognized that tone. If Sokka knew what was good for him, he’d stop talking.

“Simple. Girls are better at fixing pants than guys and guys are better at hunting and fighting and stuff like that. It’s just the natural order of things.”

Zuko winced. _Here we go_.

Katara put on a smile. “All done with your pants! And look what a great job I did!” She threw them at Sokka. 

“Wait!” Sokka protested. “I was just kidding.” He stuck one arm through the large hole in his pants. “I can’t wear these! Katara, please!”

“You’re lucky Katara is nice enough to sew your pants for you. Do _you_ even know how to sew?” Zuko pressed.

“Well, no, but that’s - ” Sokka stuttered.

“The sign of true manliness is knowing how to take care of yourself and those around you,” Uncle Iroh said.

“You grew up with Katara, right? Don’t you know how dangerous it is to antagonize her?” Zuko pressed. 

“Um, I - ”

“Relax, Sokka,” Aang cut in. “Where we’re going, you won’t need any pants.”

Zuko frowned. “What the hell does that mean?”

Aang pointed over to a beach. “We’re going over there.”

Zuko gasped as he recognized the place. _Kyoshi Island_.

“I’m gonna ride the elephant koi!” Aang said excitedly.

* * *

A few minutes later, they were dismounting Appa.

“We just made a pit stop yesterday. Shouldn’t we get a little more flying done before we camp out?” Sokka asked.

“He’s right,” Katara said. “At this rate, we won’t get to the North Pole until spring.”

“But Appa’s tired, aren’t you boy?” Aang said innocently.

Appa gave an unconvincing grunt.

Aang nudged him with his elbow. “I _said_ , aren’t you, boy?”

Appa grunted louder and yawned. Aang turned to the rest of them and smiled.

“Yeah, that was _real_ convincing,” Sokka said. “Still, hard to argue with a ten-ton magical monster.

Aang took a sharp breath and pointed to the ocean excitedly. “Look!”

An elephant koi jumped out of the water and back in, creating a giant splash. Zuko, Iroh, Katara, and Sokka all stared in awe.

Aang started to disrobe as more koi fish breached. “Katara, you’ve got to watch me!” And with that, Aang dove into the water.

“Cold!” he yelled after he resurfaced.

“That kid is crazy,” Zuko said.

“Yup,” Sokka agreed.

Appa started walking away, clearly finding something else more interesting to watch. 

“I’ll go keep the bison company,” Iroh said. He’d really taken a liking to Appa.

Aang waved to them. Katara and Zuko waved back. Katara whooped.

“He looks pretty good out there.”

“Are you kidding?” Sokka gestured at Aang in the water. “The fish is doing all the work.”

“No, Appa, don’t eat that!” Zuko heard Iroh say. He smiled.

A few moments later, the koi fish dispersed. There was a large shadow under the water. “The Unagi?” he whispered. “Aang! There’s something in the water!” Zuko yelled.

“Oh no. Aang!” Sokka yelled.

“Get out of there!” Katara yelled. 

“Get back here Aang!”

“Uh oh,” Zuko said as the Unagi breached. 

The next minute passed very quickly. As effortlessly as he rode the koi, Aang avoided the Unagi and made it back to shore. He airbended himself dry and put his clothes back on. 

“What was that thing?” Katara asked.

“Unagi,” Zuko answered.

“How do you know?” Sokka asked.

“I’ve been here before,” Zuko said, a far away look in his eyes. “A long time ago.”

“Well, let’s just hit the road before it comes back.”

Zuko agreed. “Wait… where’s Uncle?”

Zuko looked around but he was nowhere to be seen. Uncle wouldn’t just wander away like that. Something was wrong. Zuko walked away from the beach. When he turned around, he was alone. 

“Uh, guys?” No response. Zuko turned around. Aang, Katara, Sokka, Iroh, and Momo had all disappeared, but Zuko could still feel eyes on him. 

Zuko looked up at the trees for an ambush. Nothing. 

That is, until someone grabbed him from behind. 

Zuko was blindfolded, tied up, and carried away. He figured he could just firebend his way out but he didn’t want to alarm anyone. He stayed put. He heard Uncle groaning and figured he’d come to the same conclusion.

“Or we could stay a while,” Sokka amended.

They were all eventually tied to what felt like a wooden pole.

“You five have some explaining to do,” a male voice said.

“And if you don’t answer all our questions, we’re throwing you back in the water with the Unagi.” _Suki?_

“Show yourselves, cowards!” Sokka challenged.

Their blindfolds were taken off. 

“Oh,” Zuko said. They’d been ambushed by the Kyoshi Warriors. Of course.

“Who are you?” Sokka demanded. “Where are the men who ambushed us?”

Zuko inhaled sharply. _Here we go again._

Suki stepped forward. “There were no men. _We_ ambushed you. Now tell us, who are you and what are you doing here?”

Sokka stared at the Warriors in disbelief. “Wait a second, there’s no way that a bunch of girls took us down.”

“Sokka, shut up,” Zuko hissed.

Suki grabbed Sokka by his collar. “A bunch of girls, huh? The Unagi is gonna eat well tonight.”

“No, don’t hurt him!” Katara pleaded. “He didn’t mean it. My brother is just an idiot sometimes.”

“I’ll say,” Zuko agreed.

Sokka glared at him as Suki released him.

“It’s my fault,” Aang admitted. “I’m sorry we came here. I wanted to ride the elephant koi.”

“How do we know you’re not Fire Nation spies?” the man accused angrily. “These two are even wearing Fire Nation colors! Kyoshi has stayed out of the war so far, and we intend to keep it that way!”

“We’re not firebenders, sir,” Zuko said quickly. “Just regular Fire Nation citizens who disagree with the war.” Zuko again cursed himself for not finding some new clothes. Not that they’d had the time or the opportunity to, but still. The man looked unconvinced.

Aang brightened up. “This island is named for Kyoshi? I know Kyoshi!”

The man laughed humorlessly. “How could you possibly know her? Avatar Kyoshi was born here four hundred years ago. She’s been dead for centuries.”

“I know her,” Aang said calmly, “because I’m the Avatar.”

“That’s impossible,” Suki said, shaking her fist. “The last Avatar was an airbender who disappeared a hundred years ago.”

Aang smiled cheerily. “That’s me!”

“Throw the impostor to the Unagi!” the man ordered.

Suki and the rest of the warriors slid open their fans and slowly advanced on the five of them. 

“Aang, now might be a good time for some airbending,” Iroh calmly suggested.

“Oh, right.” Aang pushed himself off the ground and out of his ropes.

“Wow!”

“Did you see that?”

“An airbender!”

Aang landed gently.

The interrogator looked at Aang in awe. “It’s true… you _are_ the Avatar!” 

“Now…” Aang pulled his marbles out from his robes. “Check _this_ out!” Aang spun the marbles around again, much to the delight of the crowd.

* * *

The next morning, they were being treated _very_ well. 

“All right!” Aang exclaimed, throwing his arms in the air. “Dessert for breakfast!” Aang dug in.

Zuko frowned. This wasn’t exactly healthy. He grabbed something small. 

Momo was enjoying himself as well. _Is human food good for a lemur?_ Zuko wondered.

“These people sure know how to treat an Avatar!” Aang said around the food in his mouth.

Aang was saying something to Katara that Zuko didn’t care to listen to.

He looked over at Sokka. “What’s wrong?”

“Not hungry,” Sokka said with his arms crossed.

“He’s just upset because a bunch of girls kicked his butt yesterday,” Katara explained.

“Really?” Zuko asked. “You know, they’ve probably been training since they were very young. It’s nothing to feel bad about.”

“They snuck up on me!” Sokka protested. “Why didn’t you firebend us out of there, anyway?”

“It is better to hide our bending,” Iroh said. “Most people have bad memories of firebenders.”

“Sneak attacks don’t count, anyway!” Sokka grumbled. “Tie me up with ropes! I’ll show them a thing or two,” he mumbled to himself. “I’m not scared of any girls.” He snatched some desert off the table. “Who do they think they are anyway?” He shoved a dessert in his mouth as he exited. “Mmm… this is tasty.”

Zuko hadn’t realized how insecure Sokka used to be. He’d certainly changed on his journey with the Avatar.

“What’s he so angry about? It’s great here. They’re giving us the royal treatment!” Aang pointed out.

“Hey, don’t get too comfortable. It’s risky for us to stay in one place for very long.”

Zuko remembered that he’d been able to find them _because_ they’d stayed on Kyoshi Island for too long.

“Katara’s right. If firebenders track us here, they could burn down the whole village trying to get to you, Aang.” Zuko was thinking about Zhao. If he didn’t get any information about the Avatar from Zuko, would he still be hunting them? _Better to be safe than sorry, right?_

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Aang said. “Besides, did you see how happy I’m making this town? They’re even cleaning up that statue in my honor!”

“Well, it’s nice to see you excited about being the Avatar. I just hope it doesn’t all go to your head,” Katara said. 

“Come on, you know me better than that,” Aang reassured. “I’m just a simple monk.” Aang returned go his food

“Uncle, we should buy some paper.” 

Iroh nodded and stood.

“For what?” Katara asked.

“I need to send a letter. Family business. If you think I’ve suddenly turned evil and am reporting you to the Fire Nation, you can read it to check.”

“You know what? I just might do that,” Katara said. 

Zuko shrugged. “Be my guest. Back soon!”

* * *

Zuko and Iroh visited what felt like every single shop in town, at Iroh’s urging, of course. Zuko made sure to buy some Earth Kingdom clothes to help him and Iroh blend in for next time. He found writing supplies towards the end of their shopping trip. 

When they returned to their room, Aang and Sokka were nowhere to be found and Katara was practicing waterbending. 

_If Sokka went to do what I think he did, he’s probably getting a real ass whooping. Or Suki’s training him. She did enjoy that. Oh, and Iroh’s making tea again._

Zuko sat, took out his brush and ink, and began to write.

_Dear Azula,_

_I know it sounds strange, but I actually miss you. I miss being made fun of by you, I miss you showing off, I even miss living in your shadow and fighting for Father’s attention._

_I know what you’re going to say: I sound sappy and stupid. You’re right, I do._

_You’re my sister, and even though we’ve practically never gotten along, I do love you. I don’t think I’ve ever told you that before, but it’s true, so I’ll say it again. I love you._

With Azula in the psychiatric institution, Zuko had barely seen her. When they reunited to find their mother, Zuko found himself enjoying the familiarity of Azula’s presence. And he’d felt strangely empty after she’d ran away. Zuko wasn’t lying in the letter, not one bit.

_I’m not only writing this letter to be sappy, though. I need you to know something about Father. Growing up, all I wanted was for him to love me, but I don’t think he ever will. He probably only tolerated me because Mom made him._

_Mom loved you, you know? When she left, she tried to take both of us with her. Father wouldn’t let her, and she wasn’t a bender, so she couldn’t do anything. I know you feel like she abandoned us, but she did it so Father wouldn’t kill me. You can pretend you think I’d be better off dead, but I know that somewhere, deep down, you love me too._

_I’ve recently discovered that you don’t need to rely on fear to form relationships. Strong relationships are formed based on love, trust, and mutual respect. These are not weaknesses to be exploited, no matter what Father says._

_Whenever you see Mai and Ty Lee next, try treating them with respect, not as if they’re tools you can use to carry out Father’s orders. At school, we were taught that the war is our way of sharing the Fire Nation’s prosperity with everyone else. We were brainwashed as children into agreeing with the war. If you go anywhere outside the Fire Nation, you’ll see: the other nations hate us, and for good reason. We’ve wrought an era of war and suffering upon the world._

_I want you to know that you don’t need to be another one of Ozai’s tools. You are your own person, Azula. You’re a firebending prodigy. You can create blue fire! These are staples of your identity. You don’t have to do Ozai’s bidding. You can make your own choices._

“I’m going to go get some supplies,” Katara announced.

“Okay,” Zuko acknowledged, not looking up.

_I’ve given up my search for the Avatar. I think the Cycle is broken. Father sent me away on a task he knew I’d never complete because he doesn’t want me to come back. I guess he got his wish; I’m not coming back._

_Think on my words. Write back if you wish, though I don’t know where I’ll be this time tomorrow._

_Love,_

_Zuko_

“Uncle, will you look over this for me, please?” 

Iroh sat next to Zuko and did as he asked.

“It’s good,” Iroh said a few minutes later.

“Is there anything I should change?”

“No. We can only hope that your words get through to her. Either that, or she exposes your anti-propaganda stance and marks you as a traitor,” he said solemnly. “We shall send this before we leave.”

Zuko nodded. “Oh, Katara, you’re back.”

“Mhm,” she responded. She was focused on bending the water in her bowl again. 

Zuko read and reread his letter. His stomach felt like it was tying itself into knots. _What if I can’t save Azula? I’m actually trying this time, but what if it’s not enough?_ Zuko blew on the letters to make sure the ink was dry before folding the paper and slipping it into his bag. 

Aang returned a few minutes later.

“Hey Katara, remember how the Unagi almost got me yesterday?”

“Yeah,” Katara said, not turning around.

“Well, I’m gonna go ride it now,” Aang bragged. “It’s gonna be _real_ dangerous.”

“Good for you.”

“You’re not going to stop me?”

“Nope. Have fun.”

Aang crossed his arms. “I will,” he retorted.

“Great.”

“I know it’s great.”

“I’m glad you know.”

“I’m glad you’re glad.”

“Good!” The water splashed back into the bowl.

“Fine!” Aang left.

“Thanks for backing me up, you two,” Katara said, pointedly glaring at Zuko and Iroh.

“That seems like a lover’s spat to me. Better not to get involved,” Iroh said.

“Just go after him, Katara, before he hurts himself. He’s only doing all this stuff to impress you,” Zuko told her.

“Really?” 

“Yeah. The attention is definitely getting to his head, but he cares about what you think more than anyone else. Now go,” Zuko encouraged. 

Katara nodded and smiled at him before she left.

“Relations seem less strained than they were a week ago,” Iroh noted.

Zuko nodded. “I like these people, but… are you sure you’d like to keep traveling with us? There’s a lot of childish nonsense around.”

“I am enjoying it, actually. Watching people figure things out is fascinating. They often need a little push, but it appears that is what you are for.” Iroh smiled. “It is nice to see you with people your own age, Zuko.”

“I agree. But Uncle… I’ve been thinking. What if the Fire Nation somehow finds out the Avatar is alive? We’ll be hunted. Are you sure you want to expose yourself to that?”

“Yes, I’m sure. _You_ still need a firebending teacher, after all. Perhaps I will settle down after I teach you everything I know. I will still expect you to visit, though.”

“Of course, Uncle. Shall we walk around the village some more?”

* * *

Zuko headed for the dojo while Iroh browsed the tea shop.

“Hey Suki,” Zuko said as he entered. “Can I watch you two train?”

“All right, but are you sure you don’t want to join us?”

“Nah, I’m good.” Zuko sat behind them and watched. Suki looked to be training a new recruit. There was something familiar about her, but Zuko couldn’t quite pinpoint what.

“Not bad,” Suki said after the other warrior blocked her.

A few moments later, the man who had interrogated them, Oyaji, poked his head in. “Firebenders have landed on our shores! Girls, come quick!”

“Hey, I’m not a…” _Sokka?!_ “Oh, whatever!”

Zuko followed Sokka and Suki into an alley. _Oh, they hid in alleys to ambush me when I was here. Wait… if I’m not attacking them, then who is?_

“Come out, Avatar! You can’t hide from me forever!”

“Zhao?” Zuko whispered.

“You know this guy?” Sokka whispered back.

“Unfortunately. He‘s the worst.”

“Let’s go!” Suki commanded. 

Zuko waited until he saw a rhino and snuck up on the rider. He jumped onto the rhino’s back and pushed the rider off. Zuko’s maneuver did not go unnoticed. A nearby soldier shot a blast of fire at him. Zuko dissipated the fire and shot back a flame of his own.

“There goes _that_ secret,” he muttered. 

“You’re a firebender?!” Suki yelled.

“Yeah, but I’m clearly on your side!” Zuko yelled back, blocking some fire from hitting her. 

Zuko looked around. Zhao was close enough to firebend at. Zuko punched toward him and his fire hit Zhao’s helmet. 

“Hey! Watch where you’re aiming!” Zhao barked, searching for the source of the fire. He must have thought it had been poor aim from one of his soldiers. 

“Now, while he’s distracted!” Zuko yelled. 

The rest of the Kyoshi Warriors plus Sokka were on Zhao within seconds. Zhao unleashed some flames that Zuko did his best to block. He and the other Kyoshi warriors ran as the fire quickly spread. 

“Why are you running?” Suki demanded. “You can control fire, too!”

“Aang should be here soon,” Zuko said, dodging the question. The truth was that he didn’t want Zhao to see him.

“Nice try, Avatar! But these little girls can’t save you.”

“Oh shut the _fuck_ up, Zhao,” Zuko said, rolling his eyes. Everyone around him looked confused. Zuko guessed they’d never heard any curse words before, just like the rest of Team Avatar.

“Hey! Over here!” came Aang’s voice.

“Finally,” Zuko said. “Sokka, we have to get out of here. Zhao will destroy the whole village to get to us. Say goodbye to Suki and meet me on Appa.

Zuko looked over at Aang. He’d just picked up some fans. Zuko gave a low whistle after Aang blasted Zhao into a building. That bastard didn’t stand a chance. 

“Aang, get Appa, we have to get out here!”

Aang nodded and took off in his glider. Sokka joined Zuko a few minutes later.

“Head for the beach!” Sokka said.

Iroh was already waiting for them.

Aang and Katara showed up on Appa soon after and they took off. They had a full view of the village burning. Zuko winced. _I can’t believe I did that last time. I put my need to capture Aang above everything else._

“Look what I brought to this place,” Aang said sorrowfully.

“It’s not your fault,” Katara said.

“Yes, it is. These people got their town destroyed trying to protect me.”

Zuko had to agree with that. “I know it’s hard, but you did the right thing. Zhao would’ve destroyed the whole village if we stayed. They’re going to be okay, Aang,” Zuko tried to reassure him. 

Aang stood and jumped off Appa.

“What are you doing?” Katara yelled.

Aang got on top of the Unagi and made it rain over Kyoshi Island.

“Holy _shit_ ,” Zuko remarked. “That kid is crazy.”

“I know, I know. That was stupid and dangerous,” Aang said when he landed in Appa’s saddle.

“Yes, it was,” Katara said. She surged forward and hugged him.

Zuko moved closer to Sokka to give them some privacy. He was wiping his makeup off. 

“Hey, uh, Sokka?”

“Yeah?”

“You looked… surprisingly good like that. Down there.”

“Um, thanks?”

Zuko cleared his throat. “Anytime.”

They both looked at each other and then to the horizon. Zuko blushed. _Why did I say that? I’m such an idiot._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of my favorite chapters to write because Sokka started drinking respect women juice for the rest of his life


	6. The King of Omashu

“The Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!” Aang announced as they crested the hill overlooking said city. “I used to always come here to visit my friend Bumi.”

 _Bumi?_ Zuko looked over at Iroh. Iroh didn’t react to the name like Zuko thought he would. _Aren’t they both members of the White Lotus? Maybe Bumi is a common name in Omashu._

“Wow. We don’t have buildings like this in the South Pole!” Katara said, impressed. 

“They have buildings here that don’t melt!” Sokka added. 

“Well let’s go, slow pokes. The real fun’s inside the city!”

“Why? Shouldn’t we be heading towards the North Pole?” Zuko asked. 

“Yeah, I just wanna do one thing.”

“Seems like you always wanna do one more thing before learning waterbending,” Zuko pointed out. “You’re not scared, are you?”

“No,” Aang assured him. “I just want to show you all as much of the world as possible.”

Zuko frowned. He couldn’t scold Aang when he was being so nice. “Fine, one more stop.”

Aang cheered and started down the hill. 

“Wait, Aang! It could be dangerous if people find out you’re the Avatar,” Katara explained. 

“You need a disguise,” Sokka agreed.

“So what am I supposed to do? Grow a mustache?”

While Aang and Sokka fashioned a disguise out of Appa’s fur, Zuko and Iroh changed into Earth Kingdom clothes. 

“Okay, how do I look?” Aang asked the group. 

“Kind of like my grandfather,” Sokka said. Zuko laughed. 

“Technically, Aang is 112 years old,” Katara pointed out. 

Aang kicked his staff to his hands and used it as a walking stick. He hunched his back and leaned heavily against his glider. 

Aang did his best old person impression. “Now let’s get to skippin’, young whipper-snappers. The big city awaits!” Aang led everyone down the path. 

“Do I really sound like that?” Iroh asked. 

“You use more modern language,” Zuko said. 

“But yeah, for the most part,” Sokka said. 

* * *

“You guys are going to love Omashu,” Aang said as they approached the gate. “The people here are the friendliest in the world.”

“Rotten cabbages?! What kind of slum do you think this is?” a guard yelled at a cabbage merchant. He earthbended a rock under the cart and catapulted it into the chasm below. 

“No! My cabbages!” the merchant wailed. 

“I guess things have changed,” Zuko said quietly. 

“Just keep smiling!” Aang said. 

Zuko tried, but it felt more like a grimace. 

The earthbender raised a boulder out of the ground and held it above Aang’s head. 

“State your business!”

“My business is my business young man,” Aang said in his old man voice, poking the chest of the sentry,” and none of yours! I’ve got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside!”

“Holy shit,” Zuko whispered.

Iroh stepped forward. “You must forgive my friend here. He is a little cranky from the journey.”

The guard sighed. “Just tell me who you are.”

“Bonzu Pippinpaddleopsicopolis, the Third, and these are our grandchildren.”

“June Pippinpaddleopsicopolis, nice to meet you,” Katara said. 

Wait. Was Aang insinuating that he and Iroh were…

“Oh, you two are - ” the guard cleared his throat. “Well, you don’t strike me as the suspicious type. Enjoy Omashu.” The guard motioned for the gate to open. 

“We will!” Katara said. 

They started walking towards the gate. 

“Wait a minute!” the guard said, eyeing Sokka. “You’re a strong young boy! Show some respect for the elderly and carry your grandfather’s bag!”

“Good idea,” Aang said, handing Sokka his bag. 

Zuko chuckled. 

“Okay, why don’t _you_ carry someone’s bag?” Sokka said. 

“I’m carrying _his_ bag,” Zuko said, motioning to Iroh. “Unlike some people, I treat my elders with the respect they’ve earned.”

Sokka growled. It was so easy and enjoyable to annoy him. 

The earthbenders opened three gates and they walked into Omashu. 

It was a bustling city, but Zuko was in awe of the chute system directly above them. 

“This is the Omashu delivery system,” Aang explained when he saw Zuko’s wide eyes. “Miles and miles of tubes and chutes. Earthbending brings the packages up, and gravity brings them down.”

“Great, so they get their mail on time,” Sokka said, unimpressed. 

“They do get their mail on time, but my friend Bumi found a better use for these chutes… As the world’s greatest superslide. Come on!”

“Oh, I am far too old for that kind of excitement,” Iroh said. “I will see what kind of trouble I can get into browsing the tea shops. Be careful!”

“I’m going with Uncle,” Zuko said. 

“No you’re not!” Aang declared. “This is a once in a lifetime experience!”

“So he gets out of it but I have to suffer?”

“Pretty much!” Sokka said giddily. Zuko supposed it was revenge for earlier. 

* * *

“One ride,” Aang said once they were all situated in a cart above a steep chute. “Then we’re off to the North Pole. Airbender’s honor. 

It was a tight squeeze, but Aang had insisted everyone sit together. Zuko was in front with Aang while Sokka and Katara were farther back. 

“It sounded like fun at first,” Katara said, “but now that I’m here I’m starting to have second - ” Aang leaned forward, sending the box down the steep slope - “tho-o-oughts!” 

Zuko was surprised to find that he very much enjoyed the ride. He liked feeling the rush of the wind and the anticipation for what came next. Aang was cheering and laughing gleefully. Before Zuko knew it, he was laughing, too. 

“Aah!” Sokka screamed, pointing to his right. Zuko looked where he was pointing and swallowed. They were very close to what looked like a weapons shipment and the weapons were definitely not in a box. 

“Aang, there are some spears coming at us. We have to get off this platform!” Zuko yelled over the wind. 

“I’m on it!” Aang responded. 

He began to rock the cart until it flew out of the chute and onto a roof. It was still going extremely fast. 

They caused major property damage, interrupted a military briefing, and cut off a pumpkin supply line. 

“Aang, do something!” Katara yelled. “Use your airbending!”

“Yeah! Good idea! That’ll make us go even faster!” Aang airbended behind the cart. 

“Wooooo!” Zuko cheered. He felt like a kid again. He hadn’t felt like one since his mother was banished. 

He was having the time of his life, even when they collided with another cart and everyone’s bodies were sent flying into the air. Aang thankfully airbened the cart so they could get back in it as they slid down more roofs. 

Once off the roof, they crashed into a craftsman’s home and destroyed a vase he had clearly just finished. 

“Sorry!” Zuko and Aang called. 

They landed on a balcony and slid through another house. A bearded cat chased Momo around Aang’s wig, which was amazingly still intact. 

They smashed through a parapet and finally stopped after hitting a cabbage cart. Everyone was thrown from the box. 

Zuko groaned. His head hurt. 

“My cabbages!” the cabbage merchant from earlier cried. “You’re gonna pay for this!”

They were quickly encircled by guards. 

“Two cabbages, please,” Aang said sheepishly. 

His disguise had finally fallen apart… but no one seemed to notice that he was an airbender. _Since no one’s seen one in a hundred years, maybe no one remembers what they look like anymore. That’s… sad._

* * *

They were arrested, obviously, and taken before the king. Zuko squinted at the old man on the throne. _Bumi?_

“Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for vandalism, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages,” a guard explained. 

“Off with their heads!” the cabbage merchant insisted. “One for each head of cabbage!”

“Silence! Only the king can pass down judgment. What is your judgment, sire?”

Zuko genuinely had no idea what would happen now. He had very little experience with Bumi; all he knew was that he was weird. He bowed his head and waited for the King’s judgment. 

“Throw them…” 

Everyone gasped. 

“... a feast!”

Zuko raised an eyebrow. 

Thirty minutes later, they were led into a dining room. Momo immediately flew over to some plates and began eating. 

“Is it okay for lemurs to eat human food?” Zuko asked Sokka.

Sokka shrugged and made the I-don’t-know noise. 

“Whoa,” Katara said, pointing at something. Zuko turned to look.

“Uncle?” 

Iroh waved. He was standing next to King Bumi at the head of the table, clearly waiting for them.

“How did you get here?” 

“I was invited, of course! The king and I are old friends,” Iroh explained.

“This city is insane,” Zuko mumbled.

“Who cares? Free food!” Sokka exclaimed.

As everyone took their seats, Bumi stood and began pacing around the table.

“The people in my city have gotten fat from too many feasts, so I hope you like your chicken with no skin,” Bumi said, holding a chicken leg in front of Aang.

“Thanks, but I don’t eat meat,” Aang responded.

“How about you?” Bumi said to Sokka. “I bet you like meat.” Without waiting for an answer, Bumi stuffed the chicken into Sokka’s mouth and then returned to his own seat.

“Mm!” At least Sokka was enjoying himself.

Zuko picked at his food. He was still waiting for shit to hit the fan. He never liked fighting right after a meal.

“Aren’t you hungry, Zuko?” Sokka asked him through a mouthful of chicken.

“Not really,” Zuko replied. 

Sokka swallowed his food. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know. I’m… apprehensive.” Zuko knew Bumi was a member of the White Lotus, which meant that he was on their side. Still, he couldn’t shake the feeling.

“About what?”

“You don’t really trust this king, do you?” Zuko whispered.

Sokka shrugged. “He hasn’t done anything suspicious.”

“Yet,” Zuko said darkly. “Something just feels off.”

“So tell me, young bald one,” Bumi suddenly said. “Where are you from?”

“I’m from…” Aang paused to make something up. “Kangaroo Island!”

“Oh, Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hopping!” 

Everyone stared at Bumi until Sokka burst out laughing. Zuko, Aang, and Katara all looked at him. Uncle continued to drink his tea.

Sokka stopped laughing. “What? It was pretty funny."

Bumi stretched his arms over his head and yawned. “Well, all these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it’s time to hit the hay.”

Zuko agreed. 

Suddenly, Bumi hurled a chicken leg at Aang. Aang stopped it and made it spin in the air. The guards behind Bumi gasped. 

Zuko facepalmed. “I thought we were trying to be incognito,” he growled.

“There’s an airbender in our presence, and not just any airbender,” Bumi said, standing up. “The Avatar!”

Aang dropped the chicken leg.

Bumi sat down again. “Now, what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pipinpaddleopsicopolis?”

“Son of a bitch,” Zuko whispered.

Aang stood, throwing his hands in the air. “Okay, you caught me. I’m the Avatar. Doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out.” Aang looked underneath the table. “No firebenders here. So, good work everybody!” He pulled Sokka and Katara into a hug. “Love each other, respect all life, and don’t run with your spears. We’ll see you next time!” Aang pulled Sokka and Katara towards the door. Sokka grabbed Zuko’s hand along the way.

As they neared the exit, two guards crossed their spears, blocking their path. They turned back towards the king. Iroh hadn’t even gotten up _._ Zuko wondered if anything fazed him anymore.

“You can’t keep us here!” Katara yelled. “Let us leave!”

“Lettuce leaf?” Bumi asked, taking a bite out of a lettuce leaf to make his point.

“We’re in serious trouble,” Sokka whispered. “This guy is _nuts_.”

“Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges,” Bumi declared. “But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber.”

Bumi and the chamberlain whispered about which chamber that meant while Zuko looked pleadingly at Uncle. 

Iroh finally stood. “Everything will turn out all right, I promise.”

“Uh, take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!” Bumi commanded.

“Are you coming with us?” Zuko asked.

Iroh shook his head. “I will see you tomorrow, though.”

The guards led Zuko, Sokka, Katara, Aang, and Momo to a room with four green beds. A guard earthbended the door shut behind them. Zuko looked around; it certainly wasn’t a normal prison cell.

“This is a prison cell?” Katara asked. “But it’s so nice.”

“He did say it was newly refurbished,” Aang said.

“Nice or not, we’re prisoners!” Sokka exclaimed.

“I wonder what these challenges are going to be,” Aang mused.

“We’re not sticking around to find out. There’s got to be some way out of here,” Katara said.

“The air vents!” Aang said excitedly. 

Zuko sighed and put his bag down on the bed as everyone else ran over to the other side of the room. “You don’t seriously think we can escape through there, do you?” 

“Momo can!” Aang called.

“But he just ate enough to double his weight,” Zuko pointed out. “He probably won’t fit.”

Aang tried anyway. It took all Zuko had not to say “I told you so” when it didn’t work. 

Zuko lied down. “Let’s just go to bed. Who knows what the king has in store for us tomorrow,” Zuko said with a yawn.

* * *

Zuko awoke right as someone grabbed him. The room was dark. _It must not be morning yet_. He tried to yell but there was a hand covering his mouth. He breathed some fire. The hand was snatched away.

“Ow! A firebender?” _Whoops_.

Zuko turned his head side to side and breathed some more fire. The people holding him down let go. Zuko sat up. 

“Just knock him out!” he heard someone say.

Zuko gasped. Someone hit him in the head and he was out.

* * *

Zuko woke with a jolt. It was dark. He kicked out in front of him and hit a wall.

“Whoa, Zuko, relax,” he heard Sokka say somewhere to his right. Zuko looked over and after a few moments, his eyes adjusted and he could see Sokka’s face.

“Sokka? What’s going on?”

“Some of the king’s guards grabbed us while we were sleeping,” someone on his left side said.

“Katara? You’re here too?”

“Yeah. Sokka and I weren’t knocked out, though. Are you okay?”

“I… fought pretty hard against my attackers. I’ve been kidnapped before; it’s not a pleasant experience.” The New Ozai Society hadn’t exactly treated him well.

“Care to elaborate on that?” Sokka asked.

“No. Are we alone?”

“Yeah,” Katara said. 

“Good, then we can escape.” Zuko tried to firebend the ropes binding him but … it didn’t work. 

“Looks like you’ve got rock handcuffs. I guess they know you’re a firebender,” Sokka said after he saw Zuko’s hands light up.

“Damnit,” Zuko cursed. “I firebended at them when they tried to grab me.” He shivered. Wherever they were, it was cold. Zuko breathed in, and breathed fire out. He felt a little warmer after that. “Come over here so I can burn off your ties, then.”

“You can firebend with your mouth?!” Sokka screeched.

“Uh, yeah? Aang can airbend with his mouth, too,” Zuko pointed out.

“That’s not the same! You’re literally breathing fire! Like a dragon!”

Zuko nodded in the dark. “Anyways, will you bring your hands over here?”

“No way!” Katara exclaimed. “You could burn us!”

“I’d be using my hands, not my mouth. You can trust me.”

“Absolutely not,” Sokka said.

“So what then? Are we just supposed to wait until Aang saves us?”

“That was the plan,” Katara said.

Zuko groaned. “Uncle told me everything would be all right! This doesn’t _feel_ all right!” _What’s going to happen to me?_

“Whoa, Zuko, what’s going on? I’ve never seen you act like this before,” Sokka said.

“I’m scared, Sokka! I don’t know what’s going to happen to us!” Zuko held back tears. “All this time, I’ve been so sure of myself, so sure that everything would turn out fine, and now we’ve all been trapped by a crazy king! Why aren’t _you_ more scared?”

“We just have to believe in Aang,” Katara said quietly. “He’ll save us.”

“But he can’t even earthbend!” Zuko exclaimed. “What if we’re stuck in here forever?”

“We won’t be, Zuko,” Sokka reassured him. “We’ll be okay, I promise.”

Zuko sniffed. “I’m… I’m so scared, Sokka,” he whispered.

Sokka leaned his head on Zuko’s shoulder. Zuko stiffened a little before relaxing. Sokka was just trying to comfort him.

“I know,” Sokka acknowledged. “I’m scared, too. But we’ll get through this together. You’re stuck with us, remember?”

Zuko’s body shook with silent sobs. He let a few tears fall. Sokka nuzzled into his neck.

“We aren’t exactly close, and I don’t know if I can fully trust you yet,” Katara began, “but Sokka’s right. We’re in this together, Zuko. Whatever unexpected thing happens, we’ll figure it out together.”

Sokka leaned on him until Zuko stopped shaking.

Zuko cleared his throat. “Sorry about that.”

“Huh?” Sokka asked smartly. “Zuko, you know that it’s okay to feel emotions sometimes, right?”

Zuko didn’t answer. He’d certainly never been allowed to express himself without being yelled at after Mom left. And then as the Fire Lord, he had to keep his emotions hidden away. 

“We’re here for you, Zuko,” Katara said. 

“Thank you,” Zuko whispered. He leaned down and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. Well, as much as he could with limited mobility from being tied up. 

To Zuko’s relief, they were let out a few minutes later… only to be used as leverage by King Bumi. 

A guard approached Zuko with a ring in his hand. He removed the earth handcuffs and tried to force a ring onto his finger. Zuko ducked and kicked some fire at the guard, who quickly backed away.

“I told you to keep an eye on that firebender!” King Bumi yelled.

More guards ran at him. Zuko made a beeline towards Aang, who was standing in front of Bumi. He only summoned fire to make his attackers back off. He and Aang stood back to back. 

“We have to get out of here, Aang!”

“Zuko, wait! Look.” Aang pointed over at Sokka and Katara.

They were both fearfully looking at rings on their hands. Katara’s was green and Sokka’s was blue. The rings glowed and they tried frantically to pull them off.

“Those delightful rings are made of pure jennamite, also known as creeping crystal,” Bumi explained. “It’s a crystal that grows remarkably fast. By nightfall, your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible thing, really. I can stop it, but _only_ if you two cooperate.”

Sokka’s ring glowed and expanded towards his hand. “Ah! It’s already creeping!” He looked at Zuko fearfully.

“Fine,” Zuko muttered.

“I’ll do what you want,” Aang said seriously.

Bumi grinned. He motioned for a couple of guards and looked at Zuko.

“If you even _think_ about putting one of those rings on me, I’ll burn this city to the ground,” Zuko threatened. He would never actually do anything like that… but he really didn’t want to be trapped again.

Aang looked up at him, afraid. Zuko continued glaring at King Bumi. 

The guards looked at the king; the king nodded. They backed off. Zuko exhaled in relief.

“Zuko,” Aang whispered. “What was that about?”

“Relax. I would never actually burn a city down. I just… have a thing with being trapped.”

Aang nodded. “I’m sure it’s not an enjoyable experience for anyone.” He looked at Sokka and Katara. 

“Yeah. I’ll stay with them, make sure they’re okay.”

“Thanks, Zuko.”

* * *

Bumi led Zuko, Sokka, and Katara to a balcony overlooking an underground cave. Aang had been led to a flat rock underneath a waterfall. 

The jennamite rings had already engulfed Sokka and Katara’s forearms. Zuko looked at Aang nervously. He looked more serious than Zuko had seen since meeting him again.

“It seems I’ve lost my lunchbox key and I’m hungry,” Bumi called to Aang. “Ooh, there it is!” He pointed to the waterfall. “Would you mind fetching it for me?”

“I can’t watch this,” Sokka said after Aang failed for the second time. “Distract me, Zuko.”

“My mother was banished for killing Fire Lord Azulon,” Zuko tried.

“ _What_?!” Sokka exclaimed.

“I guess being banished runs in the family,” Zuko joked.

“Your mother killed a Fire Lord? How? Was she a servant?” Katara asked.

“No, she was Fire Lord Azulon’s daughter-in-law.”

“Then… after he died, your father became the Fire Lord?” Sokka realized.

“... shit.”

“Zuko!” Katara scolded. “How could you keep this from us?”

“My father isn’t someone I enjoy remembering, okay? He’s the one who gave me _this_.” Zuko pointed at his scar.

Sokka and Katara fell silent. Zuko supposed the distraction had worked. 

Suddenly, there was a loud noise and then the key was dangling right in front of King Bumi. 

“There!” Aang yelled. “Enjoy your lunch! I want my friends back _now_!"

“Ah, not yet. I need help with another matter. It seems I’ve lost my pet, Flopsie.”

* * *

Aang was led into a large sunken enclosure. Zuko, Katara, Sokka, and Bumi were all standing above it. 

Aang was standing near a lop-eared bunny. “Okay! Found him!”

“Bring him to me,” Bumi ordered. “Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsie.”

“Come here, Flopsie!” Aang called as he began chasing the rabbit. 

A goat gorilla landed behind Aang. Zuko winced. Aang chased the bunny around until he realized that Flopsie was actually the goat gorilla. While Bumi rubbed Flopsie’s belly, Aang jumped up to join them. 

Sokka and Katara’s crystals were up to their shoulders. 

“Guys, are you okay?” Aang asked. 

Zuko nodded. 

“Other than the crystals slowly encasing my entire body, doing great!” Katara said. 

A crystal grew on one side of Sokka’s body, unbalancing him. Zuko rushed over and pushed against the side of the crystal, ensuring Sokka stayed upright. 

Sokka didn’t look at him. “Zuko’s father is the Fire Lord.”

Aang’s eyes widened. He shook his head. “We need to deal with that later. Once we’re out of here.”

Aang walked over to Bumi, who was rubbing Flopsie’s belly. “Come on! I’m ready for the next challenge.”

* * *

The king took them to an earthbending arena. He and Aang were on one balcony while Zuko, Sokka, and Katara were on an adjacent one, accompanied by a guard.

Sokka and Katara’s crystals had encased their entire bodies, leaving only their faces exposed. 

“Your final test is a duel,” Bumi announced. “As a special treat, you may choose your opponent.”

Aang looked between two tough-looking men. 

“Point and choose.”

“So…” Aang began. “You’re saying whoever I point to, that’s the person I get to fight?” 

Bumi nodded. “Choose wisely!”

“I… choose… you.” Aang pointed to the king. 

“Wrong choice!” Bumi straightened up and removed his robes. For such an old man, he was incredibly built. He earthbended Aang off of the balcony and into the arena. He jumped down and laughed. “You thought I was a frail old man, but I’m the greatest earthbender you’ll ever see.”

Zuko highly doubted that. He’d met Toph. 

“Can I fight the guy with the axe instead?” Aang asked. 

“There are no take-backsies in my kingdom. You might need this.” Bumi pointed to the guard standing behind Zuko. Said guard tossed Aang his staff. 

As they fought, Zuko turned to Sokka and Katara. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about my father. I understand how this makes trusting me even harder. I just want you to remember that I never lied to you, I only requested to not talk about why I was banished and why I have this scar until I was ready.”

The siblings continued to ignore him. 

“Just let me plead my case,” Zuko requested. 

“Fine,” Sokka said. 

“I was banished two years ago. I’ve had no contact with anyone except Uncle since then. If I go back to the Fire Nation, I’ll be arrested. When I was banished, my father said that I could return home if I captured the Avatar. I used to think that if I did that, he would love me again. I know now that he sent me on a wild turkeyduck chase. He doesn’t want me to come home. He doesn’t even love me; he tolerated me because my mother made him. Once she was gone… well, you can imagine the rest. Why would I be loyal to a man who treated his child like that? Uncle Iroh has been more of a father to me than Ozai ever was, anyway. 

“Not to mention the fact that Ozai is spearheading a war and construing it to his own citizens as the Fire Nation spreading prosperity. The people of the world hate us, and we deserve it. I want my father’s tyrannical reign over. I want the war to end and I will assume the throne to ensure it does. I want to bring about an era of peace and prosperity, an era wherein we learn from our past mistakes and do our best to make up for them. Furthermore, there are many antiquated laws that are harshly enforced and I will work tirelessly to ensure that these laws are abolished. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not using Aang for my own gain. As the Fire Lord, I fully intend to work closely with all of you to divert resources to help rebuild. I will also need your help to ensure I don’t become as detached as my father. 

“I know you’ll need time to fully trust me. From here on out, I’ll answer any question you ask of me with complete honesty. I’ll give you two some time,” Zuko finished. 

He turned away and watched Aang fight Bumi. _That airbender sure can fly_.

“Zuko,” Katara said.

Zuko looked at her. “Yes?”

“What laws would you be changing?”

Zuko sighed. “Many.” He took a moment to remember which ones he’d abolished since ascending the throne. “I’ll start with reworking the education curriculum so children are taught the truth instead of propaganda. Then I’ll decriminalize homosexuality, increase tax on the rich, use that tax money to end homelessness and provide universal healthcare to Fire Nation citizens as well as foreigners… the list goes on.”

“Hold on. Decriminalize? It’s illegal to be in a same-sex relationship in the Fire Nation?” Sokka piped up.

Zuko nodded solemnly. “Fire Lord Sozin made the law. Probably just as another way to control his citizens.”

“That’s crazy,” Katara remarked. “In the Southern Water Tribe, it’s pretty normal to be… Sokka, what was it called?”

“Bisexual.”

“It’s pretty normal to be bisexual.”

“That must be nice,” Zuko said bitterly. 

“Are you… do you like men and women, Zuko?” Katara asked tentatively. 

He nodded. He’d known since he was thirteen. There were some cute boys _and_ girls at his school. More recently, he’d definitely had a crush on Jet (until he attacked him at the tea shop, that is). After Zuko and Mai broke up, he hadn’t really had time to pursue other romantic options. Mai had known he liked men too. Once he repealed the homophobic laws, Mai started dating Ty Lee. 

“Your dad didn’t take that well, did he?” Sokka said quietly.

Zuko laughed humorlessly. “You could say that. He told me I was confused and that no son of his would ever be with a man.” That was a conversation they’d had through jail cell bars. 

“What a jerk!” Sokka exclaimed. 

“Yeah.”

Before anyone could say anything else, King Bumi appeared out of the ground next to them. Aang softly landed moments later.

“You’ve passed all my tests,” the king said. “Now, you must answer one question.”

“That’s not fair!” Aang said. “You said you would release my friends if I finished your tests.”

“Oh, but what’s the point of tests if you don’t learn anything?”

“Oh, come on!” Sokka said.

“Are you fucking kidding me,” Zuko deadpanned.

“Answer this one question and I will set your friends free. What… is my name?” Bumi looked over at Sokka and Katara. “From the looks of your friends I’d say you only have a few minutes.” With that, he walked away.

“How am I supposed to know his name?” Aang asked.

“I know it,” Zuko offered.

“Really? How?”

“We learned about him in school. Omashu is the only city in the Earth Kingdom outside of Ba Sing Se that has a monarchy,” Zuko lied. Well, it wasn’t entirely a lie. He _had_ learned about Omashu’s monarchy in school, he just never learned who the king was. “Do you want me to tell you?”

“Yes!” everyone else yelled.

“Bumi.”

Aang gasped and then smiled. “He was a friend of mine a hundred years ago. Let’s go.”

A guard escorted them back to the throne room. Aang stood in front of the king and Zuko stood with Sokka and Katara a little farther back.

“To solve the challenges, I had to open my brain to the possibilities, like you said a long time ago. Bumi, you’re a mad genius.” Aang gave him a hug.

“Oh Aang, it’s good to see you. You haven’t changed a bit. Literally.”

“Uh, over here!” Katara said as the jennamite glowed again.

“Little help?” Sokka frantically requested.

Bumi broke the crystals with his earthbending, making the pieces fly everywhere. He caught one of them.

“Jennamite is made of rock candy.” He took a bite. “Delicious!”

Sokka and Katara walked next to Aang. Zuko stayed behind, looking around for Iroh.

“So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?” Katara asked.

“Who are you calling old?” Bumi responded.

“ _That’s_ what you’re offended by?” Zuko muttered.

“Okay, I’m old,” he conceded.

“Why did you do all of this instead of just telling Aang who you were?” Sokka asked.

“First of all, it’s pretty fun messing with people.” Bumi snorted. “But I do have a reason. Aang, you have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years that you’ve been gone. It’s the duty of the Avatar to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master the four elements and confront the Fire Lord. And when you do, I hope you will think like a mad genius. And it looks like you’re in good hands. You’ll need your friends to help defeat the Fire Nation. And you’ll need Momo, too,” he added when Momo climbed up on Aang.

“Thank you for your wisdom, but before we leave, I have a challenge for you. We’re going on the world’s greatest superslide! Come on.” Aang dragged Bumi away.

“How sweet,” someone next to Zuko said.

“Uncle? Where were you?” Zuko exclaimed.

“Having a nice, long nap.”

“Hold on a second… you’re Fire Lord Ozai’s brother,” Sokka realized.

Iroh nodded and sipped some tea. “And I want the Avatar to take him down.”

“You could be lying! How can we trust anything you say?”

“Katara, we’re enemies of the Fire Nation. By joining Aang, we became traitors. If other firebenders learn that we’ve defected, we’ll be hunted, too,” Zuko explained. 

“Why don’t we let Aang decide?” Sokka suggested.

“Very well,” Iroh said. 

While they waited for Aang to return, Zuko asked Iroh a question he’d been thinking about. 

“Uncle, why did Fire Lord Sozin criminalize homosexuality?”

“Because Sozin was in love with Avatar Roku,” Iroh explained.

Sokka and Katara’s jaws dropped. 

“What?!” Sokka exclaimed.

“He liked men, too? Then why wasn’t he more supportive?”

“Avatar Roku disapproved of Sozin’s plan for world domination. Their relationship turned sour; Sozin took these feelings out on his citizens. If he couldn’t love a man, no other man could. So he banned same-sex relationships.”

“That is so fucked up.”

“Zuko, language,” Iroh gently reminded him.

“I’m gonna have to agree with Zuko on this one. Wow,” said Sokka.

“But… liking boys isn’t wrong, right?” Zuko asked shyly.

“No, of course not! Love is love, regardless of whom it is directed toward.”

Zuko smiled to himself. He’d never spoken with Uncle about his sexuality in his future, but he was certainly glad to now. 

“I like girls _and_ boys, Uncle.”

“Me too,” Uncle said.

“Me three! What are we talking about?” Aang had returned.

“Having romantic feelings for both girls and boys,” Katara explained.

“Oh yeah, count me in, then!” Aang said enthusiastically.

“Really?” Zuko had never known.

“Yep. The monks were all about love and freedom and fun. I feel and embrace all forms of consenting love,” Aang explained. “Doesn’t everyone?”

“Um… no. Same-sex relationships are illegal in the Fire Nation.”

Aang frowned. “They weren’t the last time I was there.”

“It was Fire Lord Sozin’s idea,” Zuko told him. 

“Well, it was a bad one. And speaking of Fire Lords, you’re Fire Lord Ozai’s son?” Aang asked. 

Zuko nodded. “Though I’m sure he’d prefer if I wasn’t.”

“Okay, so your dad is the guy I’m going to defeat… but you and Iroh are clearly on our side. I don’t see an issue.”

“Aang! They could be spies!” Sokka exclaimed. 

“The Fire Nation killed our mother. How can you feel safe traveling with them?”

“Look, Katara, I don’t have the same experiences with firebenders as you. Zuko and Iroh have proven themselves to be trustworthy time and time again. I mean, if they were secretly working for the Fire Lord, why haven’t they kidnapped me? Or killed me, for that matter? They’ve had plenty of opportunities.”

“And what if they’re just playing the long game?” Sokka asked. 

“Zuko’s not a bad person, Sokka. No bad person could have as much fun as he did riding the carts on the delivery system.”

“But he lied to us,” Katara pointed out. 

“Not really. He just didn’t tell us certain things. You trust me, right?”

The siblings nodded. 

“Well, there’s a lot you don’t know about my past either,” Aang said darkly. “We all have our secrets, for now. Everything will be told when we’re ready.”

“How can you be so nonchalant about this?” Katara asked incredulously. “The Fire Nation wiped out the Air Nomads!”

“Zuko and Iroh aren’t directly responsible for that. Besides, haven’t you heard Zuko talk about how much the Fire Nation needs fixing? If he was blindly loyal to the Fire Lord, he would be blind to his nation’s faults, too. _And_ he’s the heir to the throne. He and Iroh are powerful allies.”

“Aang - ”

“Enough,” Aang cut Sokka off. “I’ve made my decision. They stay.”

“Are you sure?” 

“Unless you can find _another_ firebending teacher who doesn’t want to kill me, Katara, I don’t want to hear it. You’re just going to have to work through your feelings and learn to trust them.”

“Thank you for letting us stay, Aang. Sokka, Katara, the next time we see a firebender, I’ll show you that they want me dead, too,” Zuko said.

“That is a large risk to take,” Iroh reminded him. 

Zuko looked Sokka in the eye. “I know, but anything is worth it to earn their trust.” Sokka broke eye contact first, looking down at the floor. 

Sokka and Katara continued not speaking to Zuko for the entire walk out of the city. 

Zuko finally addressed them both as they walked up the hill to Appa. “You know, even if you don’t trust me, I trust the two of you. I don’t cry in front of just anyone.” With that, Zuko walked ahead to talk with Aang. When he looked back, he saw Sokka and Katara looking guiltily at the ground. 

“So, tell me more about this whole airbender approach to love,” Zuko requested. 

Aang brightened up. “Sure! As I said before, the monks taught us to be open and expressive with our love and appreciation of beauty, regardless of what the rest of the world thinks.”

“Appreciation of beauty?” Zuko repeated. 

“Yeah, in both women _and_ men. I find you very beautiful, Zuko.” Zuko’s eyes widened and he blushed. “I also find Katara beautiful.”

“Wait, what? You think I’m - what?”

“Beautiful!” Aang smiled. “Are you okay?”

“I, um, no one’s ever… called me that before. Men aren’t allowed to say that to other men in the Fire Nation.”

“Then that’s a real shame! There’s nothing wrong with calling it like you see it. The Fire Nation has changed,” Aang remarked sadly. 

Zuko nodded. “Thanks for the compliment, though.”

“Anytime! Oh, and not that it’s any of my business,” Aang dropped his voice to a whisper, “but I’m pretty sure Sokka thinks you’re beautiful, too.”

Zuko blushed again. “No way!” he whispered back. 

“He looks at you when you’re looking away. I only notice because I do, too! Although, I should be clear, I’m not romantically interested in you. I just like looking at beautiful things.”

“Um. Okay. Wow. That’s a lot of compliments in under a minute.”

“I can keep going,” Aang offered. 

“I don’t know if I could handle that. Thanks, though.” They stopped walking as they approached Appa. He was right where they left him. 

“You’re welcome!” Aang stood on his tiptoes and gave Zuko a hug. Zuko hugged back. 

_Man, what a sweet kid._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya gotta strike a careful balance with the gaang because on the one hand they're all incredibly smart and mature for their age but on the other hand they're all silly kids who deserve to act like it sometimes


	7. Imprisoned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i slept on posting another chapter y'all here you go. more dialogue lifted from the show ahead

A few days later, Aang and Katara were sitting on a grassy plateau in a forest somewhere in the Earth Kingdom. Zuko was gathering some water at the stream in front of them. Uncle and Sokka had gone out in search of food. 

Zuko turned around and looked at Appa. “Lucky bison. He can just eat grass and enjoy it,” he muttered.

Momo trilled and Zuko looked up. Sokka and Iroh had returned

“Great, you’re back!” Aang said enthusiastically. He leaped off the root he’d been lying on and landed next to Sokka. “What’s for dinner?”

Sokka opened his bag and dug out some nuts. “We’ve got a few options. First: round nuts. And some kind of oval shaped nuts? And some rock-shaped nuts, that might just be rocks.” He threw the rock-shaped nut toward Momo. “Dig in!”

Zuko raised his eyebrow.

“Seriously, what else ya got?” Katara asked.

“That’s it. Iroh keeps finding plants that are either delicious food or deadly poisons. We can’t risk eating something we’re not sure about.”

Zuko nodded quickly. “I agree.”  _ Dodged a flame there; now we don’t need to find an herbalist to cure Uncle of a rash. _

A moment later, the entire earth quaked. Everyone jumped.

“What was that?” Sokka asked.

“Earthbender,” Zuko realized.

The quake returned.

“It’s coming from over there!” Aang said. He and Katara took off toward the noise.

“Shouldn’t we run  _ away _ from huge booms? Not toward them?” 

“Hey, I’m with you, Sokka. Still, we’d better make sure they don’t get into trouble. Let’s go."

They followed Aang and Katara behind a fallen tree. There they saw a young boy bending boulders into the air and punching them into the side of the ravine.

“An earthbender!” 

“Didn’t I say it was?” Zuko shouldn’t have been surprised. Katara and Sokka were barely on speaking terms with him. They hadn’t talked to him for days after they found who his father was.

“Let’s go meet him!” Aang said excitedly.

“He looks dangerous, so we better approach cautiously,” Sokka said.

“Hello there! I’m Katara! What’s your name?”  _ Never mind _ .

The boy gasped and dropped the boulder. He quickly ran away, bringing down an avalanche of rocks to stop them from following him.

Sokka, Aang, and Zuko caught up with Katara.

“Nice to meet you!” Aang yelled.

Katara shrugged. “I just wanted to say hi.”

“Hey! That guy’s gotta be running somewhere. Maybe we’re near a village. And I bet that village has a market!” Aang said.

“Which means no nuts for dinner!” Katara and Aang excitedly ran after the earthbender.

“Hey! I worked hard to get those nuts!” Sokka exclaimed. Zuko gave him a look. “Yeah, I hate ‘em, too. Let’s go, Zuko. You and Iroh have all the money, anyway.”

At least they were on speaking terms again. For now, anyway.

“Uncle!” Zuko called.

“Yes?” 

“There’s a town this way. Will you please bring my bag and join us over here?”

“Yes.”

Iroh showed up about a minute later. “Will Appa be okay back there?”

Zuko looked over at Sokka for an answer.

“He’ll be fine. Let’s go get ourselves some food.”

They set after Katara and Aang. Sure enough, they eventually reached a small town.

Aang was trying on a hat. Zuko was looking for a place to send his letter to Azula. In all of the Omashu chaos, it had slipped his mind. 

“Hey…” Katara walked towards a dark wooden building.

Zuko motioned for Aang (still in the hat), Sokka, and Iroh to follow her. They entered the shop right as Katara spoke.

“Hey. You’re that kid. Why did you run away before?”

“Uh, you must have me confused with some other kid.”

“No, she doesn’t,” Aang said. “We saw you earthbending.”

The kid and the woman behind the counter gasped. She slammed the door shut and closed the window shutters.

“They saw you doing  _ what _ ?!” she exclaimed.

“They’re crazy, Mom! I mean, look at how they’re dressed.”

“Is this not what they wear in the Earth Kingdom?” Iroh whispered, looking down at his green robes.

Zuko shrugged.

“You  _ know _ how dangerous that is!” the kid’s mother scolded. “You know what would happen if  _ they _ caught you earthbending!”

Someone knocked on the door. “Open up!”

Sokka peeked through the window’s blinds. “Fire Nation! Act natural.”

Zuko pretended to examine some merchandise. When he looked, Aang, Katara, and Sokka were all spectacularly failing at looking natural. Zuko smiled.

The woman opened the door. “What do you want? I’ve already paid you this week!”

“The tax just doubled,” the collector said arrogantly. “And we wouldn’t want an accident now, would we?” He created a ball of fire between his hands. Everyone but Zuko and Iroh backed away. “Fire is sometimes so hard to control.”

“Yeah, if you’re not properly disciplined,” Zuko said.

“What did you just say to me?” the man yelled.

“If you can’t control fire, how can you call yourself a firebender?”

“I agree,” Iroh said, stepping next to him. “Why don’t you just leave these nice people alone?”

The tax collector growled. “I’ll get what I’m owed.”

“You’ll get nothing, and you’ll get out,” Zuko said firmly. 

“And how are you going to make me?” the man taunted.

“You’re not the only firebender here.” Zuko lit a flame in his hand. Everyone (except Iroh) gasped. “If you start a fire, we’ll just put it out. Now  _ leave _ these people  _ alone _ . Oh, and don’t even  _ think _ about trying to fight me in here. Who are you going to exploit for money if this shop burns down?”  _ Not to mention I’ll kick your ass _ , Zuko didn’t say.

“Get. Out,” Iroh growled, summoning a flame as well. 

Stunned, the tax collector left. 

Zuko slammed the door behind him. “Good riddance.”

“You’re firebenders?” the earthbender exclaimed.

“Firebenders who just saved you from giving up what’s yours,” Zuko pointed out. “How long has the Fire Nation been here?”

“Five years. Fire Lord Ozai uses our town’s coal mines to fuel his ships,” the mother answered.

“They’re thugs. They steal from us. And everyone here’s too much of a coward to do anything about it. Except you, I guess. Thanks,” Haru said reluctantly. 

Zuko nodded at him. 

“Quiet, Haru! Don’t talk like that.”

“But, Haru’s an earthbender. He can help!” Katara said.

“Earthbending is forbidden. It’s caused nothing but misery for this village.” She cast a glance at Haru. “He must never use his abilities.”

“How can you say that? Haru has a gift! Asking him not to earthbend is like asking me not to waterbend. It’s a part of who we are.”

She shook her head in dismay. “You don’t understand.”

“I understand that Haru can help you fight back. What can the Fire Nation do to you that they haven’t done already?”

“They could take Haru away! Like they took his father.” She turned to Zuko and Iroh. “Thank you for your help today, but they’ll still be back next week. Even so, I cannot let you walk away empty handed. Is there anything I can do for you in return?”

Zuko looked at Katara. She put her hands together and then put them on one side of her head. “Um, a place to sleep, maybe? Also, restaurant recommendations and directions to somewhere I can send a letter?”

Haru’s mother nodded kindly. “You may all sleep in the barn. Haru, please show these people to the post office and that noodle place down the street.”

* * *

They had been fed and Zuko had mailed his letter by the time Haru led them to the barn. Aang led Appa inside while Zuko prepared everyone’s sleeping areas.

“My mom said that you can sleep here tonight… but you should leave in the morning,” Haru said.

“Thanks,” Aang said. “I’ll make sure Appa doesn’t eat all your hay.”

As Aang said that, Appa engulfed a haystack. He paused, looked at Aang, and then continued chewing.

Katara pulled Zuko aside while Haru made conversation with Aang. “Thank you for doing that today. I know it isn’t a permanent solution, but maybe standing up to that man will inspire Haru to do the same.”

Zuko’s eyes widened. Katara had barely spoken a word to him since Omashu. “I couldn’t just watch. People shouldn’t be allowed to act like that.”

“I’m glad you feel the same. Maybe you’d actually be a good replacement for Fire Lord Ozai.  _ Maybe _ .”

Katara walked over to Haru and the two decided to go on a walk. There was still time before nightfall.

“Would anyone like some tea?” Iroh asked.

“How do you always have tea?” Sokka asked.

Iroh smiled but said nothing. 

Zuko shrugged. “I’d like some.”

“Me too,” Sokka muttered.

“Me three!” said Aang.

Iroh procured teacups from their bag and poured tea for everyone.

“Delicious as always, Uncle.”

Iroh smiled and sat to drink his cup as well.

“Zuko,” Sokka said.

“Yeah?”

“Your mother. Why did she kill Fire Lord Azulon?"

Zuko sighed. He  _ had _ promised he’d answer any of their questions. “It’s complicated. Do you know the story, Uncle?”

Iroh nodded.

“Is it okay if I tell it?”

He nodded again.

Aang stopped playing with Momo and looked at Zuko expectantly. 

“After my cousin Lu Ten died, Uncle was, understandably, very distraught. He abandoned the siege at Ba Sing Se. My father went to Fire Lord Azulon and asked him to revoke Iroh’s birthright and make Ozai his successor. Instead of agreeing, Fire Lord Azulon yelled at him for being disrespectful of Iroh’s pain. Then he said that Ozai had to know what it was like to lose his firstborn; he ordered my father to kill me... and he was going to.” Zuko paused. It wasn’t exactly easy to talk about this. He looked out the door of the barn. The sun was setting.

“My mother found out and begged him to spare me. She devised a plan to kill Fire Lord Azulon so my father could assume the throne. She made an odorless, colorless poison and put it in his tea. My father banished her for treason. I heard my mother tried to take me and my sister Azula with her. My father wouldn’t let her, and she couldn’t fight back because she isn’t a bender. Ozai told the Fire Sages that, on his deathbed, my grandfather said he wanted his second son to succeed him. He was crowned Fire Lord. Does that answer your question?”

Aang and Sokka stared at him with wide eyes. Iroh sipped his tea.

“Um, wow? Your mom is hardcore, Zuko,” Sokka said.

Zuko smiled. “Oh yeah.”

“Thank you for telling us,” Aang said.

Zuko nodded. “I promised I would answer any question, remember? I meant it.”

Then, Katara returned. She regaled them with a story of how Haru saved a man who had been trapped under some rocks.

“It was so brave of Haru to use his earthbending to help that old man,” she said. 

“You must have  _ really _ inspired him,” Aang remarked. 

“I guess so.”

“Everyone should get some sleep, we’re leaving at dawn,” Sokka said. 

“Dawn?!” Katara grumbled. “Why can’t we sleep in for once?”

“Absolutely not! This village is crawling with Fire Nation troops. If they discover you’re here, Aang, we’ll be eating fireballs for breakfast. Goodnight.”

“I’d rather eat fireballs than nuts,” Katara said wryly. 

“ _ Good night _ !”

Katara, Aang, and Zuko chuckled. Zuko put out the candle with a flick of his wrist and they slept. 

* * *

The next morning, Aang and Sokka were folding up blankets while Zuko and Iroh made breakfast. 

Katara rushed in from… somewhere. “They took him! They took Haru away!”

“What?” Aang cried. 

“The old man turned him in to the Fire Nation - its all my fault - I forced him into earthbending!”

“Whoa, Katara, slow down,” Zuko said. 

Sokka stepped forward and laid a hand on Katara’s shoulder. “When did this happen?”

“Haru’s mother said they came for him at midnight.”

“Then it’s too late to track him, he’s long gone.”

“We don’t need to track him,” Katara declared. “The Fire Nation is going to take me right to Haru.”

“And… why would they do that?” Aang asked. 

“Because they’re going to arrest me for earthbending.”

Aang and Sokka shared a horrified look. 

“Come on!” Katara left. 

“No breakfast?” Iroh asked. 

“I’ll bring some for everyone,” Zuko offered. “Aang, Sokka, follow Katara. I’ll catch up.”

They nodded and left the barn.

Iroh put some porridge into a big bowl while Zuko grabbed some chopsticks.

“You kids are so eager to rush into things,” Iroh remarked.

“Agreed. Thanks for breakfast, Uncle. Take care of Appa.” 

Back on Kyoshi Island, Iroh had thankfully thought to buy some food containers. Zuko shoved the porridge into his bag, assured that it wouldn’t spill.

Zuko found everyone on a rocky road just outside the city.

“There! That air vent and that boulder. Help me push, guys,” Katara said.

Aang, Sokka, and Zuko got behind the boulder and began the arduous process of moving it.

“Aang,” Zuko growled. “You know you’re an earthbender too, right?”

Aang grinned sheepishly. “Not yet, I’m not. It’s on the vents now, we can stop.”

Zuko exhaled. “Thank the spirits.”

Aang sat down and started absent-mindedly airbending. Zuko couldn’t see the air moving, of course, but he’d seen Aang do something similar in his future. 

“I thought you were crazy at first, Katara, but this might work,” Sokka said. “There are ventilation shafts throughout these mines. All Aang has to do is send an air current from that vent to this one here. The boulder levitates and  _ ta-da _ ! Fake earthbending.”

Katara put her hands on her hips and turned to Aang. “Aang? Did you get all that?”

“Sure, sure, I got it.” Aang was playing with a butterfly.

“Do you remember your cue?” Sokka asked.

“Yeah, yeah. Just relax. You’re taking all the fun out of this.”

“By  _ this _ , do you mean being intentionally captured by a group of ruthless firebenders?” Sokka fired back.

“Exactly! That’s fun stuff!”

“I’ll stay with him,” Zuko decided.

A group of firebenders with spears approached. They must have been on their patrol path.

“Here they come! Get in your places!” Sokka directed.

Sokka and Katara argued in front of the guards for a minute or so; Zuko couldn’t make out their words. 

Then he heard Katara yell, “I’ll show  _ you _ who’s boss! Earthbending style!”

Aang was still playing with the butterfly. Zuko shoved him. Aang leaped up and blasted a strong jet of air into the duct. Zuko heard the rock lift.

“Let’s go, Aang.”

They reached Sokka as Katara was being led away by firebenders.

Sokka tugged at his ears and pointed accusingly at Momo, who was perched on Aang’s shoulder. “Momo,  _ you _ have some big ears!” Momo folded his ears back.

“Sokka, your ears are fine. Let’s follow them.”

“Here!” Aang said, holding out hats. “I got hats for everyone. We can be incognito!”

Zuko and Sokka reluctantly accepted the yellow hats and put them on.

“There! Now we’re all matching.”

“Come on, Aang,” Zuko said, grabbing his wrist.

* * *

The guards put Katara in a Fire Nation transport. She ended up at the docks and was taken on a barge. They blended into the crowd.

“Aang, you’re the fastest, go get Appa. We need to follow that transport. Zuko and I will stay here and keep an eye on it.”  _ Ah, Sokka the plans guy _ .

Aang looked nervously at Katara. “Okay, I’ll be back soon.” He took off.

Sokka cleared his throat. “So, uh, how’ve you been?”

“The same as you?” Zuko responded uncertainly.

“Oh, right.”

“Nice that you’re finally talking to me again,” Zuko remarked.

“I… yeah. Aang talked me into it. He’s the wisest kid in the world.”

Zuko chuckled. He knew that better than anyone.

They were quiet for a moment.

“I’ve always wondered… what’s the Fire Nation like?” Sokka asked.

“Hot,” Zuko said simply. “You’ll probably get there eventually, you know? Aang has to fight the Fire Lord.”

“Yeah, I figured. Best know what I’m getting into, though.”

“Don’t like heat?”

“I’m just used to the cold. You know, Water Tribe?”

“Heh, yeah.” Things felt… tense between them. Zuko supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. Still, this time around he hadn’t actively tried to capture Aang. Things should be easier, right?

“There’s Aang and Iroh!” Sokka said, pointing behind him. “Let’s go!”

* * *

On Appa, they caught up to the barge fairly quickly. It was leading them to a smoking off-shore Fire Nation prison rig.

Aang was looking nervously at the boat. Zuko put a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.

“She’ll be fine, Aang,” Sokka said. “Katara knows what she’s doing.”

When the barge arrived at the prison rig, six prisoners were lined up on the deck, Katara included. They were guarded on either side. A man Zuko assumed to be the warden approached and said some (probably rude) words. A few minutes later, the prisoners were led away.

“She has until tonight to rescue Haru,” Sokka said. “Aang, can you land Appa somewhere?”

“Sure thing!”

“I must say, this is crazy,” Iroh remarked.

“Katara’s determined. There’s no stopping her,” Sokka sighed. 

Aang landed them on a cliff overlooking the prison rig.

“I am going to get a head start on dinner,” Iroh said. 

Zuko was starting to suspect he preferred taking care of them rather than taking part in their shenanigans.  _ Fair enough _ .

After they set up camp, everyone sat around a fire Zuko started. He estimated that they had about an hour before sunset. Iroh was over by Appa, chopping some vegetables he’d had the foresight to purchase the previous night.

“We’ve got some time to kill. Any ideas?” Zuko asked.

“How about truth or dare?” Aang suggested, a huge smile on his face.

“That’s a pretty childish game,” Sokka said.

“And we’re kids,” Zuko reminded him.

“Fine. I guess I have nothing better to do. Wait, Iroh!”

“Yes?”

“Do you need help preparing dinner?” Sokka was clearly trying to get out of the game.

“No, I am fine. Thank you for asking!”

Sokka sighed and slumped forward.

“Great!” Aang exclaimed. “I’ll go first. Zuko, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“I dare you to show me your coolest firebending trick!”

“Okay. I’m gonna step over there for it, though.” Zuko walked a good distance away from them. He balanced on his wrists and turned, using his feet to firebend a circle around himself.

Aang and Sokka (surprisingly) clapped when he returned.

“Thank you,” Zuko said, sitting back down. “Sokka, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

Zuko paused to think. He’d been prepared to offer a dare.

“Zuko, I think I have something.” Aang leaned in and whispered something to him. 

“Aang, no! I’m not asking him that!”

“Hey, just a suggestion.” Aang looked over at Sokka innocently. 

“Wh - ” 

Zuko cut him off. “Sokka, do you ever wish you were a bender?” It was the only serious thing he could come up with.

“Yeah, sometimes. But I also think that you all have bending instead of brains. I mean, Katara decided to get herself arrested to break Haru out of prison. That’s crazy, right?”

“I don’t know, she said it’s her fault that he’s in there in the first place,” Aang said.

“I’m with Sokka on this one. It’s crazy,” Zuko agreed. 

“My turn. Aang, truth or dare?” Sokka asked. 

“Dare!”

“I dare you to… kiss Zuko!”

“Okay!”

“Hey, why am I involved in this?” Zuko complained. 

“Relax,” Aang said, leaning over to him. 

Aang gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, something he’d done numerous times in Zuko’s future. “Oh.”

“Aang, that doesn’t count!”

“You didn’t specify,” Aang sang. “It’s my turn, anyway.” Aang gave Zuko a mischievous look. Zuko frowned back.  _ What are you up to, Avatar? _ “Sokka, truth or dare?”

“Dare.”

“Do you find Zuko attractive?”

Zuko froze. Aang had told him to ask that. He didn’t think Aang would ask it himself. 

“Well, that’s, um, not a dare,” Sokka stammered. 

“I dare you to tell me if you find Zuko attractive.”

“ _ Aang _ !” Zuko didn’t think his face could get any redder. 

“It's a dare, Sokka, you have to do it.” Aang looked at him expectantly. 

Zuko buried his face in his hands and groaned. 

“... yes,” Sokka said in a tiny voice. 

Zuko looked up. Aang had a huge grin on his face. Sokka was looking at the ground.

Zuko and Sokka were thankfully saved from further embarrassment when Uncle announced that dinner was ready. It was a simple stir-fry with rice.

Neither Zuko nor Sokka spoke for the duration of the meal. Zuko was quiet because he was still processing the fact that not only did Sokka find him attractive, he had  _ admitted  _ it during a stupid game. He couldn’t figure out why  _ Sokka _ was being quiet, though. 

Aang was acting like nothing had happened, making casual conversation with Iroh.

* * *

After what felt like forever, the sky turned dark and Aang, Zuko, and Sokka left on Appa to free Katara and Haru. They all waved goodbye to Iroh.

As they approached the prison brig, Sokka pointed to an unlit area of the brig’s perimeter. “We can hover there for a bit.” 

Appa lowered them down and Aang jumped off to get Katara. He returned with her a few moments later.

“Your twelve hours are up,” Sokka said. “Where’s Haru? We’ve gotta get outta here!”

Katara shook her head. “I can’t.”

“We don’t have much time,” Sokka said hurriedly. “There are guards everywhere. Get on!”

Aang looked at her with concern. “Katara, what’s wrong?”

“I’m not leaving.”

Zuko raised his eyebrows. Aang and Sokka shared a questioning look. 

“I’m not giving up on these people,” Katara declared.

“What do you mean you’re not leaving?” Zuko asked incredulously.

“We can’t abandon them! There has to be a way to help them.”

“Maybe she’s right. What do you say, Sokka?” Aang said. 

“I say you’re both crazy!” Sokka said with as much force as he could in such a quiet voice.

Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose. He couldn’t believe them. Sokka pulled him down, dodging a searching spotlight.

“Last chance!” Sokka warned. “We need to leave, now!”

“No!” Katara said sternly.

Sokka shook his head dismally. “I hate it when you get like this. Come on, we better hide.”

Zuko reluctantly followed Sokka and Katara as Aang instructed Appa to hide. Aang joined them behind a wall near where the prisoners slept. 

“We don’t have much time,” Zuko said. This was absolutely crazy. “What are we gonna do?”

“I wish I knew how to make a hurricane!”

Everyone gave Aang a Look. 

“The warden would run away and we’d steal his keys!” Aang explained.

“Wouldn’t he just take his keys with him?” Sokka asked.

“I’m just tossing ideas around.”

“I tried talking the earthbenders into fighting back but, it didn’t work! If there was just a way to help them help themselves…” Matara trailed off. 

“For that they’d need some kind of earth, or some rock. Something they can bend,” Sokka suggested. 

Katara put her palm to the floor. “But this entire place is made of metal!”

_ I mean… Toph invented metalbending. She even started a metalbending academy and taught others how to do it. I guess none of these people are prodigies like Toph, though. There goes that idea. _

“No, it’s not.” Aang pointed to smokestacks near the top of the ship. “Look at the smoke! I bet they’re burning coal. In other words,  _ earth _ .”

* * *

Sokka devised a plan similar to the one that had gotten Katara arrested. It took them all night to figure out where the coal deposit was and which vents Aang needed to leave open to airbend the coal out.

Sokka had just finished reminding Zuko and Katara how it would work when a guard spotted them.

“There are the intruders!”

“They knew we were here?” Zuko wondered aloud.

They were suddenly surrounded by guards wielding spears. The prisoners were watching them from a distance.

“Stay back! I’m warning you!” Sokka pulled out his boomerang.

An older man stepped forward. “Katara, stop! You can’t win this fight!”

“Listen to him well, child. You’re one mistake away from dying where you stand,” a man without a helmet said. Zuko figured he was the warden.

Suddenly, the ventilation shaft in front of them burst off its hinges and a pile of coal shot out. Aang leaped out of the vent, coughing. He dusted himself off and joined Zuko and Sokka. 

Katara grabbed a piece of coal and turned to the other inmates. “Here’s your chance earthbenders! Take it! Your fate is in your own hands!”

No one moved. Zuko had never known earthbenders to be so… docile.

The warden laughed. “Foolish girl. You thought a few inspirational words and some coal would change these people? Look at these blank, hopeless faces. Their spirits were broken a long time ago. Oh, but you still believe in them. How sweet. They’re a waste of your energy, little girl. You  _ failed _ .” He turned to leave.

Then Haru bended a piece of coal to hit the back of his head. The warden sent a blast of fire toward Haru but the older man raised a wall of coal in his defense.

“Show no mercy!” the warden ordered. 

The guards started blasting fire toward the rebelling prisoners. Zuko jumped in front of them and blocked the fire while the earthbenders rallied behind him. 

“For the Earth Kingdom, attack!” he heard someone yell.

Zuko found himself next to Haru. They fell into a pattern, Zuko protecting him from the fire and Haru throwing coal at the guards’ heads, incapacitating them for the near future.

Eventually, the earthbenders got the guards and the warden onto a large pile of coal and let them fall into the ocean. Zuko breathed a sigh of relief.

The older man from earlier approached him. “I don’t know who you are, but thank you for fighting on our side. My name is Tyro. I’m Haru’s father.”

“Zuko.”

“It’s nice to meet you Zuko. I have many questions about a firebender fighting people from his own nation, but I will save them for later. I need to congratulate Katara.”

After Tyro left, Sokka stood next to him. 

“I saw you breaking the guards’ spears. Good job,” Zuko said.

“Thanks. Good job protecting Haru.”

Zuko nodded.

“I noticed… because you were defending the prisoners, the guards attacked you, too. Even though you’re a firebender. You really weren’t lying.”

“No, I wasn’t.”

“Well… thank you. Maybe I can start trusting you again. Just tell me if another member of your family wants Aang dead, okay?”

“Another member of my family wants Aang dead.”

“Are you serious,” Sokka deadpanned.

“Yes. My sister, Azula. She does my father’s bidding, so if he sends her after us… well, she can be pretty ruthless.”  _ No way in hell am I letting her kill Aang again, though _ .

Sokka groaned. “ _ Why _ are we fighting  _ another _ member of your family?”

Zuko shrugged. That was just the way things were. “Don’t worry, I have no qualms about fighting my family as long as they strike first. And Azula will.”

“Your family is… something else.”

“Yeah. I tried to convince Azula to become a better person with that letter I sent. I can only hope she’s not too far gone.” Zuko sighed and sat down, leaning against the wall.

Sokka sat too. “This must be really hard for you.” He put a hand on Zuko’s shoulder.

Zuko nodded. He couldn’t even  _ begin _ to describe just how hard it was. Zuko knew why Azula acted the way she did, of course. She was upset that their mother seemed to love Zuko more than her, but he knew she didn’t. Azula lashed out at him to cover up those feelings. She probably flaunted the fact that she was their father’s favorite because she thought their mother preferred Zuko.

And since she was the favorite, Ozai gave her a lot of responsibility. Azula succeeded in taking Ba Sing Se when countless others failed. Ozai had left her behind on the day of Sozin’s Comet because he was worried about her outshining him. That coupled with Mai and Ty Lee’s “betrayal,” as Azula called it, had ultimately led to her downfall.

And still, no matter what reprehensible things Azula did, Zuko loved her. She was his sister; they’d shared a childhood. It was hard for Zuko to see Sokka and Katara supporting each other unconditionally when Azula had actually shot  _ lightning _ at him. 

It had been awful to watch Azula breakdown after Katara defeated her. In that moment, for the first time, Zuko felt this instinct to protect her from their father. 

He didn’t even realize he was crying until he blinked and a tear fell. Sokka just leaned over and hugged him. Zuko’s silent tears fell and he wrapped his arms around Sokka as well, burying his face in his shoulder.

He let go once his last tear had fallen.

Sokka put his hands on Zuko’s shoulders. “I’m here for you, okay?”

“Okay. Thanks.”

“Of course.”

They sat together and watched the harbor come into view. They didn’t speak, but Zuko no longer felt any tension between them. He smiled and silently thanked Kanla for the opportunity she’d given him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen I don't like Azula but she's baby??? A literal child who Ozai treated as a tool in his imperialist conquest rather than as a daughter. Children deserve better than that. Azula deserves better than that. But am I a good enough writer to figure out a redemption arc for her? Who knows.


End file.
